Six To Eight Hours Of Vigorous Exercise Lessens Risk Of Cancer And Heart Disease, New Study Finds

A new study has found that people who exercise on a regular basis are at less risk of suffering from five common deadly diseases including breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. According to the study conducted by researchers from Australia and the US, a higher level of physical activity per week reduces the risk of getting five common diseases, reported Eureka Alert.

For the purpose of the study, the researchers analyzed 174 different studies which were published between 1980 and 2016. The team used a formula called metabolic equivalent (MET) minutes to estimate how much of physical activity in a week offered the maximum health benefit. MET minutes measure how much energy a person burns during physical activity. It was found that a person who exercised 3,000 to 4,000 MET minutes/week reaped the maximum benefit. It is to be noted that the optimum exercise level as suggested in the study is almost five to six times higher than currently recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) that is 600 metabolic equivalent (MET) minutes a week, reported Daily Mail.

The researchers found that the most health gains occurred at a total weekly activity level of between 12 and 16 hours of moderate activity, or between six and eight hours of vigorous exercise. For instance, a person can strive the 3,000 MET minutes target by climbing stairs for 10 minutes; vacuuming for 15 minutes; gardening for 20 minutes; running for 20 minutes and walking or cycling for 25 minutes.

"With population aging, and an increasing number of cardiovascular and diabetes deaths since 1990, greater attention and investments in interventions to promote physical activity in the general public is required," noted lead author Hmwe Kyu. He added that more studies using the detailed quantification of total physical activity is required to get a more precise estimate for different levels of physical activity. The study finding shave been published in the journal The BMJ.