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Exercise Can Improve Health for Even the Most Inactive People
Many of the detrimental effects of physical inactivity can be reversed, and in some cases improved, by a similar period of
moderate exercise, according to a report at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting.
When Duke University Medical Center evaluated the effects of exercise in sedentary overweight men and women, trial participants
who exhibited the greatest decline in physical status during inactivity benefited the most from exercise training, according
to the researchers.
These findings linking the ability of exercise training to reverse the negative effects of inactivity can be attributed to
the exercise alone, because the participants did not alter their diets during the trial, the researchers say.
Small amounts make a big differenceThe study suggests some good news: that a small amount of physical activity can make a big difference in reducing the risks
for developing such conditions as heart disease, stroke or diabetes.
Michael G. Ciccotti, MD, Director of Sports Medicine at the Rothman Institute at Jefferson and Associate Professor of Orthopedic
Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, says the study results send a clear message: “When it
comes to exercise, doing something is better than doing nothing. Exercising can enable you to not only avoid the negative
effects of inactivity, but also to gain some important health benefits.”
Noting that lack of time is the most common reason people give for not working out, Dr. Ciccotti adds, “The amount of time
that study participants exercised wasn’t overwhelming and should be achievable with anyone’s schedule.”
Taking it all in STRRIDE
The current study stemmed from a recently completed trial known as STRRIDE (Studies of a Targeted Risk Reduction Intervention
through Defined Exercise). The trial, funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, investigated the effects of
exercise on sedentary overweight adults at risk for developing heart disease, diabetes or both.
The STRRIDE trial, in which the intervention ran for six months, randomly assigned 334 participants into three different exercise
groups and one control group. At the end of the trial, many markers of cardiovascular health declined in participants in the
control group, who did not exercise. Researchers decided to see if these negative effects could be reversed after the participants
spent the same amount of time in an exercise program.
Of the 61 STRRIDE participants randomly assigned to the control group, 53 agreed to the take part in the new study, which
ran an additional six months.
The researchers measured 17 biological factors known to increase cardiovascular risk, including waist size, physical fitness,
visceral fat levels, body mass index, cholesterol levels, insulin sensitivity and indicators of metabolic syndrome, a precursor
of diabetes.
In the new analysis, researchers found that waist size, time to exhaustion, visceral fat and metabolic syndrome scores deteriorated
significantly during the six-month period of inactivity during the original STRRIDE trial. However, after six months of exercise
training in the study, 13 of the 17 variables had either reverted to original baseline levels or even improved.
The STRRIDE trial measured three levels of physical activity: the equivalents of 12 miles of walking per week, 12 miles of
jogging per week or 20 miles of jogging per week. Participants worked out on treadmills, elliptical trainers or cycle ergometers
in a supervised setting.
It wasn't the participants with the highest intensity of exercise who accounted for the combined beneficial effects – which
should be reassuring for people to know they don't have to do a high-intensity workout to get these benefits of exercise.
“The study participants used exercise equipment for research purposes, but you don’t need expensive gear or a costly gym membership
to enjoy the benefits of moderate exercise. Just getting out and walking is a great way to start,” Dr. Ciccotti says, adding
that the key to success is finding a form of exercise that you enjoy – and will stick with.
Mental and emotional benefits too
Dr. Ciccotti also emphasizes that although the study focused on the physical benefits of exercise, there are mental and emotional
benefits, as well: “Exercise delivers a sense of well-being and personal productivity that may be intangible, but certainly
has real benefits.”
Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. Schedule an appointment with a Jefferson physician online or by calling 1-800-JEFF-NOW.
