- A new study shows that regular leisure time physical activity can help lower stroke risk.
- The benefits of even lower amounts of exercise were seen across males and females and all age groups.
- There are many ways a person can reduce their risk of stroke through small amounts of physical activity.
To reduce stroke risk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Now, a new study finds that any level of physical activity, including “leisure time physical activity (LTPA),” can reduce stroke risk.
The findings suggest engaging in leisure time physical activity well below the recommended threshold for exercise can lower stroke risk by 18% compared to engaging in no physical activity.
Exercising 150 minutes a week can cut one’s stroke risk by 29%, and a moderate level of similar physical activity can reduce it by 27%, the study shows.
The findings are published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
The study is an analysis of 15 studies involving 75,050 participants.
Since the studies were independently conducted, the analysis endeavored to find common ground between them. The mean follow-up period was 125.7 months, plus or minus 77.5 months.
In some of the studies, the outcomes for three activity levels were assessed:
- no physical activity
- exercise below the 150-minute target
- satisfying the 150-minute recommendation for exercise
For these studies, the below-target levels were associated with an 18% reduction in stroke risk compared to no activity.
Other studies involved four or five levels of physical activity. Lower physical activity levels in these studies revealed a similar reduction in stroke risk compared to no activity at all.
The benefits of even lower physical activity levels were consistent across males and females and all age groups.
Despite the promising findings, the authors acknowledge a few limitations to the…
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