Regular exercise over the age of 40 not only keeps you fit, it also reduces your chances of being hospitalized due to illness, according to a major new study from the UK and the US.

Researchers led by Dr. Eleanor Watts from the US National Cancer Institute, who made a corresponding publication in the American medical journal JAMA Network Open, analyzed data on 81,717 adults aged 42 to 78 years. Time spent exercising has been associated with risk of hospitalization for pneumonia, stroke, complications of diabetes, thrombosis, iron deficiency anemia, intestinal polyps, serious UTIs, and other conditions.

The benefits of a 20 minute workout

It turned out that just 20 minutes of daily exercise reduced – depending on the health problem – the risk of hospitalization from 4% (in the case of intestinal polyps) to 23% (in the case of complications of diabetes) over the next seven days. years. There was also a significant reduction in the risk of hospitalization for urinary tract infections and gallbladder disease.

“Studies show that physical activity can improve the immune system, lung and heart function, and reduce inflammation,” Dr. Watts said.

Experts recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise. The main message of the new study is that “almost any activity is better than inactivity.”

Source: RES-IPE