Modifying Aging's Impact on Heart and Lung Fitness: The Significance of workout scheduling and persistence
Study Suggests Consistent Daily Exercise Routine Improves Cardiovascular and Lung Health
Researchers have discovered that maintaining a regular exercise schedule can have significant benefits for cardiovascular and lung health in later years. The study, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, emphasizes the importance of timing and consistency in daily physical activity.
The study involved older adults, age 76 on average, who wore wrist-worn accelerometers for seven days to monitor their daily activity levels. Researchers also conducted cardiopulmonary exercise testing to evaluate the participants' heart and lung health.
Dr. Karyn Esser, senior author of the study, highlighted the impact of the results. "Cardiorespiratory fitness is a measure of how well your heart, lungs, and muscles work together in response to exercise," she stated. "Higher values are strongly associated with longer lifespan and lower mortality risks."
Researchers discovered that participants who had a consistent workout time and whose maximum daily activity occurred earlier in the day displayed better cardiorespiratory fitness and walking efficiency. Esser also noted that a greater consistency in daily activity patterns with the highest activity time happening at the same time every day was associated with better health outcomes, even when accounting for the amount of activity.
The study's findings suggest that maintaining a daily exercise routine with attention to the timing and consistency of activity can contribute to better health outcomes as people age. Esser explained, "We found that earlier peak activity was associated with better outcomes even when you [take] into account the amount of activity. This suggests that getting moving earlier in the day could provide a health benefit."
Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, a board-certified interventional cardiologist, backed the study's findings, stating that they "suggest that we may eventually be able to better tailor our exercise recommendations in order to optimize the physiological benefits."
As the population ages, strategies to improve physical fitness can help reduce the burden of age-related diseases. Esser's research team is continuing to explore the impact of circadian activity patterns on various aspects of health, including sleep, pain, cognition, and mental health.
Source: University of Florida Department of Physiology and Aging; Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise.
Enrichment Data:
- Regular exercise is beneficial for maintaining heart function and reducing the risk of cardiovascular events and deaths.
- Exercise contributes to the management of comorbidities, leading to better health outcomes in older adults.
- Engaging in physical activity helps enhance respiratory function and overall physical fitness.
- Even short bouts of incidental activity can have health benefits, and long-term adherence is crucial for sustained improvements in health.
- Maintaining a regular exercise schedule, particularly focusing on the timing and consistency of daily physical activity, is advantageous for improving cardiovascular and lung health as individuals age.
- Researchers have observed that seniors who have a consistent workout time and whose maximum daily activity occurs earlier in the day exhibit better cardiorespiratory fitness and walking efficiency.
- The study's findings propose that maintaining a daily exercise routine, with attention to the timing and consistency of activity, can contribute to better health outcomes as people age.
- A greater consistency in daily activity patterns, with the highest activity time happening at the same time every day, is associated with better health outcomes, even when the amount of activity is considered.
- The study suggests that getting moving earlier in the day could provide a health benefit, contributing to strategies that can help reduce the burden of age-related diseases.
- Exercise plays a significant role in the management of comorbidities and enhances respiratory function, overall physical fitness, and well-being in older adults, contributing to longer lifespans and lower mortality risks.
