http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/137593
"This study proves once again that exercise has both psychological and physical benefits for patients with heart disease…"
Don't want to spend hours every day at the local gym? A workout doesn't have to be that intense or frequent to reap lasting benefits.
According to a study cited by the UK Daily Express, just 30 minutes of jogging or cycling, 3 times a week, can produce "amazing results."
The study, which was done by the Department of Cardiology in New Orleans, and published in the American Journal of Medicine, had a research team that followed "522 cardiac patients, including 53 who had high stress levels and 27 control patients who had high stress levels but who refused cardiac rehabilitation."
According to the report, the patients were offered exercise classes—three times per week—consisting of "10 minutes of warm-up, 30 to 40 minutes of aerobic exercise such as walking, rowing or jogging, and then a 10-minute stretch to wind down."
The patients were also given dietary and lifestyle advice, and were then followed for up to 6 years.
The study found that those who participated in the exercise, lifestyle and dietary changes, and who became more fit because of it, were 60 percent less likely to die during that 6-year period.
The research also found that exercise made a big impact on levels of stress in people, lowering their death-rate by 20 percent.
The British Heart Foundation commented on the report saying, "This study proves once again that exercise has both psychological and physical benefits for patients with heart disease.
"Health authorities must ensure that all suitable heart patients are offered cardiac rehabilitation. Structured, well-resourced programs have been shown to improve physical and psychological wellbeing and reduce mortality."