Every minute of physical activity could reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, for older adults with limited mobility, according to a study.
The research, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, showed that reducing time spent sedentary, even with low-intensity activities, could have cardiovascular benefits for older adults with mobility limitations.
Researchers studied 1,170 people aged 74-84, and found that for every 25-30 minutes a participant was sedentary a day, their predicted risk of coronary heart disease was 1 per cent higher.
During February, the British Heart Foundation is encouraging people to take just 10 minutes a day to make small lifestyle changes to improve their health.
This is in line with government recommendations that adults should aim to be active daily in bouts of 10 minutes or more, adding up to at least 150 minutes per week.
June Davison, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We already know that older adults who participate in any amount of physical activity will gain some health benefits.
“Older adults should aim to be active daily and should try and move regularly throughout the day and minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary for extended periods.
“During February’s Heart Month we are urging people to use ten minutes a day to help reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke by making small lifestyle changes, such as increasing their amount of physical activity.”
