Study: Any Exercise Helps the Heart

Even small amounts of daily exercise help to reduce the risk of heart disease. That’s the conclusion of a new review of research on the topic. Some benefit was seen with as little as 10 to 15 minutes of exercise a day. The review combined the results of 9 previous studies. All of them included information on exercise habits. Researchers looked at people who did moderate-intensity exercise (such as walking) for at least 150 minutes a week. That is the current recommended minimum. People in this group had a 14% lower rate of heart disease than those who did no exercise. Benefits of exercise were strongest among women. The study appeared in the journal Circulation. USA Today wrote about it August 2.