Professor La Gerche revealed what he believes to be ‘the biggest bang for your health buck’
Exercise haters, you may want to look away now. New research suggests that people who regularly engage in fitness generally use ‘fewer heartbeats’ each day and may even be extending their lifespan.
The new study, led by Australia’s Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, examined data from over 100 people to better understand the relationship between training frequency and heart rates during a 24-hour period. All participants were encouraged to carry out their usual daily activities while wearing a heart monitor, with the figures later analysed by scientists.
Overall, non-athletes had an average of 109,440 beats per day, while athletes showed an approximate 10% decrease, with around 97,920 beats daily. Although it seems like a small difference, scientists suggest it may actually indicate that increased fitness is associated with greater metabolic efficiency.
Professor La Gerche, a co-author of the study and head of the HEART Laboratory, said: “That’s an incredible saving of about 11,500 beats a day. Even though athletes’ hearts work harder during exercise, their lower resting rates more than make up for it.”
While heart rates often go unnoticed, the British Heart Foundation states that a normal resting pulse typically ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. During physical activity, your heart rate usually increases to between 130 and 150 beats per minute.
If someone’s resting pulse is unusually slow, it could indicate heart problems. Generally, however, a slightly slower rate suggests the heart is working more efficiently and does not have to pump as hard to circulate blood.
Regarding athletes, Professor La Gerche stated that a lower resting heart rate also indicates improved health prospects, reducing long-term cardiovascular risks. His thoughts mirror the findings of various other academic studies.
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Professor La Gerche continued: “The fitter you are, the more metabolically efficient your body becomes. Even if you’re training hard for an hour a day, your heart beats more slowly for the other 23 hours. The net effect is fewer beats used overall.”
He also added: “Exercise is strongly linked with improved mental health, longer lifespan and lower rates of heart disease…The biggest bang for your health buck is going from unfit to moderately fit.
“Just a few hours of purposeful exercise each week can transform your heart’s efficiency and help make every beat count. It may even extend your life by years.”
NHS guidance on exercise
The NHS also acknowledges numerous benefits of regular exercise. It highlights that people who regularly engage in fitness activities generally have a reduced risk of:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease
- Bowel cancer
- Osteoarthritis
- Breast cancer in women
- Hip fracture
- Falls (among older adults)
- Early death
- Depression
- Coronary heart disease and stroke
Its online guidance adds: “To stay healthy, the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines, on GOV.UK, state that adults should try to be active every day and aim to do at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week, through a variety of activities.
“For most people, the easiest way to get moving is to make activity part of everyday life, like walking for health or cycling instead of using the car to get around. However, the more you do, the better, and taking part in activities such as sports and exercise will make you even healthier.”
Learn more at the NHS website here.