SYDNEY, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Australian researchers have found that women accumulating physical exercise in their 20s and 30s can retain the benefits of exercise for better heart health in their 40s.
Researchers from the University of Queensland analyzed longitudinal data from 479 women who reported their physical activity levels every three years from their early 20s to their mid-40s, the university said in a statement on Friday.
The study, which was published by the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, finds that women in their 40s who had been the most active in young adulthood had an average resting heart rate of around 72 beats per minute (bpm), which was slower than around 78 bpm for women having the least activity from 20s to 40s.
Although the difference seems small, previous studies suggested an increase in resting heart rate of even one bpm was associated with increased mortality, said Gregore Iven Mielke, a senior research fellow in the School of Public Health of the University of Queensland.
"A lower resting heart rate usually means your heart is working more efficiently and as it should be," he said.
"These findings suggest that regular physical activity, irrespective of timing, appears to provide cardiovascular health benefits for women before the transition to menopause," he added. ■
