With an aging population facing a rise in chronic diseases like dementia, heart disease, and weak bones, there's a growing desire across all ages to live not just longer, but healthier.

For women in their 40s and 50s, it's not too late to take action. A study that monitored more than 11,000 women in Australia has found that midlife is a crucial time to meet physical activity guidelines of at least 150 minutes a week.

Women who consistently followed the guidelines for 15 years showed better physical health compared to those who didn't.

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Even women who were not previously active saw significant benefits. By the final study, their physical test scores were practically on par with those who exercised regularly before their 50s – and a full 3 percentage points ahead of those who never followed the guidelines. While further research is needed to confirm these benefits in men, the results are promising.

"Our findings propose that to maintain good physical health-related quality of life at around age 70, one may be able to make up for not being active earlier by becoming active in the mid-50s," write the research team, led by scientists at the University of Sydney.

Interestingly, women in the study who only started exercising consistently in their 60s did not see the same benefits as those who started in their 50s.&nbsp;

Lead author Binh Nguyen, and her colleagues believe that is because there had not been enough physical activity for the health benefits to be evident by around age 70."

Regular exercise is hardly a new prescription for middle-aged people, or people of any age in reality. Many large population studies have linked physical activity to a lower risk of death, yet surprisingly, few long-term studies have tracked the health effects of exercise as a person ages.

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The study tracked 47- to 52-year-old women in Australia from 1998 to 2019, with intermittent check-ups for mental and physical health occurring every three years.

The study relied on self-reported physical activity, which can be prone to inaccuracy. However, even after accounting for social and economic background, diet, and other health factors, researchers observed a "small but meaningful" benefit.

"Combined with current evidence, this study add to growing evidence of the benefits of maintaining or adopting an active lifestyle in mid-age," the researchers concluded.

(With inputs from agencies)

With an aging population facing a rise in chronic diseases like dementia, heart disease, and weak bones, there's a growing desire across all ages to live not just longer, but healthier.

With an aging population facing a rise in chronic diseases like dementia, heart disease, and weak bones, there's a growing desire across all ages to live not just longer, but healthier. For women in their 40s and 50s, it's not too late to take action. A study that monitored more than 11,000 women in Australia has found that midlife is a crucial time to meet physical activity guidelines of at least 150 minutes a week. Women who consistently followed the guidelines for 15 years showed better physical health compared to those who didn't. Also read: 'Lost in space': Satellite missing since 1990s located in Earth's orbit. How can someone lose a satellite? Even women who were not previously active saw significant benefits. By the final study, their physical test scores were practically on par with those who exercised regularly before their 50s – and a full 3 percentage points ahead of those who never followed the guidelines. While further research is needed to confirm these benefits in men, the results are promising. "Our findings propose that to maintain good physical health-related quality of life at around age 70, one may be able to make up for not being active earlier by becoming active in the mid-50s," write the research team, led by scientists at the University of Sydney. Interestingly, women in the study who only started exercising consistently in their 60s did not see the same benefits as those who started in their 50s. Lead author Binh Nguyen, and her colleagues believe that is because there had not been enough physical activity for the health benefits to be evident by around age 70." Regular exercise is hardly a new prescription for middle-aged people, or people of any age in reality. Many large population studies have linked physical activity to a lower risk of death, yet surprisingly, few long-term studies have tracked the health effects of exercise as a person ages. Also read: Where is Wally? US man says his 'emotional support' alligator has gone missing The study tracked 47- to 52-year-old women in Australia from 1998 to 2019, with intermittent check-ups for mental and physical health occurring every three years. The study relied on self-reported physical activity, which can be prone to inaccuracy. However, even after accounting for social and economic background, diet, and other health factors, researchers observed a "small but meaningful" benefit. "Combined with current evidence, this study add to growing evidence of the benefits of maintaining or adopting an active lifestyle in mid-age," the researchers concluded. (With inputs from agencies)

Midlife exercise may improve health even after years of inactivity: Study

Researchers have discovered significant disparities in the exercise benefits between men and women after a study spanning two decades and involving 412,000 adults aged 27 to 61

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, showed that men need to invest twice as much time in exercising as women to achieve comparable long-term benefits, such as a reduced risk of early death from heart attacks.

<h2>What does it mean?</h2>

The findings indicate that both sexes can substantially reduce their risk of premature death through regular exercise, but women appear to "get more out of each minute."&nbsp;

Various activities, including running, cycling, and strength training, were found to provide a more significant boost to women's long-term health, even with less effort compared to men.

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Women who engaged in regular exercise showed a remarkable 36 per cent lower likelihood of experiencing a fatal heart attack or stroke during the study period, while the difference for men was only 14 per cent. Additionally, women experienced a 24 per cent reduced risk of early death from any cause, compared to a 15 per cent reduction for men.

"Women can get more out of each minute of moderate to vigorous activity than men do. It’s an incentivising notion that we hope women will take to heart," Dr Martha Gulati, a cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in California and the study's author was quoted as saying by The Times newspaper.&nbsp;

According to the study's co-author, Dr Susan Cheng, the difference comes from differences in anatomy and physiology of men and women.&nbsp;

Also watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: How often should you exercise?

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The researchers hope that these findings will encourage more women to integrate regular exercise into their lives, even in smaller increments.

The study aligns with growing evidence that exercise should be tailored according to sex, considering differences in hormones, physiology, and biomechanics.&nbsp;

"This study emphasises that there is no singular approach for exercise. A person’s physical activity needs and goals may change based on their age, health status and schedule — but the value of any type of exercise is irrefutable," Dr Eric Shiroma from America’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute was quoted as saying by The Times newspaper.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Researchers have discovered significant disparities in the exercise benefits between men and women after a study spanning two decades and involving 412,000 adults aged 27 to 61 The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, showed that men need to invest twice as much time in exercising as women to achieve comparable long-term benefits, such as a reduced risk of early death from heart attacks.

Researchers have discovered significant disparities in the exercise benefits between men and women after a study spanning two decades and involving 412,000 adults aged 27 to 61 The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, showed that men need to invest twice as much time in exercising as women to achieve comparable long-term benefits, such as a reduced risk of early death from heart attacks. What does it mean? The findings indicate that both sexes can substantially reduce their risk of premature death through regular exercise, but women appear to "get more out of each minute." Various activities, including running, cycling, and strength training, were found to provide a more significant boost to women's long-term health, even with less effort compared to men. Also read | Why time of the day matters when you want to lose weight Women who engaged in regular exercise showed a remarkable 36 per cent lower likelihood of experiencing a fatal heart attack or stroke during the study period, while the difference for men was only 14 per cent. Additionally, women experienced a 24 per cent reduced risk of early death from any cause, compared to a 15 per cent reduction for men. "Women can get more out of each minute of moderate to vigorous activity than men do. It’s an incentivising notion that we hope women will take to heart," Dr Martha Gulati, a cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in California and the study's author was quoted as saying by The Times newspaper. According to the study's co-author, Dr Susan Cheng, the difference comes from differences in anatomy and physiology of men and women. Also watch | Gravitas: How often should you exercise? × The researchers hope that these findings will encourage more women to integrate regular exercise into their lives, even in smaller increments. The study aligns with growing evidence that exercise should be tailored according to sex, considering differences in hormones, physiology, and biomechanics. "This study emphasises that there is no singular approach for exercise. A person’s physical activity needs and goals may change based on their age, health status and schedule — but the value of any type of exercise is irrefutable," Dr Eric Shiroma from America’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute was quoted as saying by The Times newspaper. (With inputs from agencies)

Matriarchy rocks? Women gain double the benefits from exercise than men, study finds

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