Exercise is a well-known factor in promoting longevity and overall health. However, a new study has found that women may require less exercise than men to achieve similar benefits. This finding challenges the current physical activity guidelines, which are the same for both genders. The study suggests that due to differences in size, muscle mass, and lean body mass, women can experience significant gains in longevity by engaging in about half the amount of exercise that men need.
According to the study, men can achieve the peak “survival benefit” by engaging in 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week. This level of exercise resulted in an 18 percent lower risk of mortality compared to inactive men. On the other hand, women only need to exercise for 140 minutes per week to lower their mortality risk by 18 percent. If women increase their exercise to 300 minutes per week, their risk decreases by 24 percent. Interestingly, men benefited the most from three sessions of muscle-strengthening activity per week, while women achieved equivalent benefits with just one session.
The study analyzed data from over 400,000 U.S. adults who provided information on leisure-time activity between 1997 and 2017. The researchers compared this data with death records and found that women experienced greater longevity benefits from exercise. The physiological differences between men and women may explain these findings. Men generally have greater muscle mass and lean body mass, requiring more exercise to achieve similar benefits. Women, on the other hand, have a higher density of capillaries per unit of skeletal muscle, allowing them to increase blood flow with smaller amounts of exercise.
The study’s authors hope that these findings will motivate women to engage in regular physical activity and close the gender gap in exercise. Currently, only 20.4 percent of women meet national exercise guidelines, compared to 28.3 percent of men. Martha Gulati, the director of preventive cardiology in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai and a co-author of the study, emphasizes the importance of tailoring guidelines to account for sex differences.
While the study sheds light on the optimal exercise levels for women, it has some limitations. The participants’ physical activity was self-reported and not tracked, making it difficult to confirm the accuracy of the data. Additionally, the study only accounted for leisure-time physical activity and did not consider daily activities such as walking or household chores.
Despite these limitations, the study highlights the importance of physical activity for overall survival and encourages individuals to engage in even small amounts of exercise. Gulati believes that further research is needed to better understand how exercise prescriptions can be tailored to individual patients. Ultimately, the message is clear: exercise is beneficial for longevity, and even a small amount can go a long way in improving health and well-being.
