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Overweight, Obese Women Improve Quality of Life with 10 to 30 Minutes of Exercise |
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From EurekAlert! - Breaking News: Sedentary, overweight or obese women can improve their quality of life by exercising as little as 10 to 30 minutes a day, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Conference on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism. The Dose Response to Exercise in postmenopausal Women (DREW) study, first reported in 2007, was the largest randomized, controlled trial examining the role of exercise in postmenopausal women. These secondary results focus on quality of life among 430 women divided into four groups: three groups exercising at various levels and one control group that did not exercise. All participants in the exercise groups reported a statistically significant improvement in social functioning compared to those in the control group of women who didn't exercise. However, women who participated in more exercise, from 135 to 150 minutes a week, also showed significant improvements in general health, vitality and mental health. The women who exercised more also improved in physical functioning, role limitations in work or other activities due to physical problems and role limitations due to emotional problems, the researchers said. Researchers randomly assigned women to one of three exercise groups, including those expending about four kilocalories per kilogram (kcal/kg) of energy each week amounting to 70 minutes a week; 8 kcal/kg/week amounting to 135 minutes per week; or 12 kcal/kg/week amounting to 190 minutes a week. "At baseline the average vitality and role emotional scores for these women were lower than for the U.S. population," Thompson said. "Physical activity not only provides a better quality of life but better balance, stronger bones and confidence in walking," Church said.
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