A good reason to get moving

Health professionals are determined to convince you to exercise -- and for good reason. Regular exercise can minimize your risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and certain cancers. If that is not convincing enough, Harvard University researchers present another motivator in a recent issue of the American Journal of Public Health. They found that physically active women actually lowered their risk of dying during the course of the Nurses' Health Study, a 16-year study of 80,000 healthy women.

Exercise helps women stay healthy

All participants in this study reported their physical activity levels approximately every two years between 1980 and 1996. They also kept investigators informed about their health and whether it influenced their ability to exercise or limited their daily activities. Researchers kept track of any deaths that occurred (most often reported by volunteers' families) and the causes.

The researchers found that there was, in fact, about a 20% decrease in risk of death for those women who were active. Of note is that the greatest decrease in death risk was found when physical activity went from less than 1 hour a week to 1 to 2 hours a week. Greater activity offered only a slight increase in protection.

One may try to explain this by suggesting that the women who were more active were probably healthier in general -- less likely to smoke, and perhaps younger or thinner. However, these findings held even when researchers mathematically 'controlled' for those factors.

Which came first -- exercise or good health?

The researchers make it clear that it is difficult to separate out those who may have restricted their activity as a result of an impending illness. In that situation, the lack of exercise did not contribute to the disease, but rather the disease caused the lack of exercise. Also, at the study's start women may have had some health problems that the initial questionnaire did not identify.

Make exercise a habit

However, even with these shortcomings, these findings are in agreement with the well-established observation that those who are more physically active are at reduced mortality risk than those who are less active. Also, there is a large body of evidence that supports the benefits of physical activity on blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and for managing diabetes.

Aside from living for many years, most people are also concerned with the quality of those years. Again, exercise has a role to play. With stamina, flexibility, and strength you are better able to carry groceries, walk up a flight of stairs, and pick up a grandchild. And those may be the best reasons of all to exercise more often.