Health matters: physical activity – prevention and management of long-term conditions

Source: British association for cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation

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Date of publication:  04 Feb 2020

Publication type: Guidance

In a nutshell:  One in 3 adults in England live with a long-term health condition and they are twice as likely to be amongst the least physically active. However, evidence shows that regular physical activity can help prevent or manage many common conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. It also helps keep symptoms under control, prevent additional conditions from developing, and reduce inequalities.

Length of publication:  1 webpage

Acknowledgement:  British association for cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation

Middle-aged can reverse heart risk with exercise, study suggests

Source: BBC Health News

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Date of publication: January 2018

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell:  The study, published in the journal Circulation, analysed the hearts of 53 adults aged 45-64 who were healthy but had no history of exercising regularly.

Research has shown that sedentary behaviours – such as sitting or reclining for long periods of time – increase the risk of heart disease.

The study’s participants were divided into two groups, with one following an aerobic exercise routine that progressed in intensity over the two years and another doing yoga, balance training and weight training three times a week, also for two years.

The aerobic exercise group showed an 18% improvement in their maximum oxygen intake during exercise and a more than 25% improvement in “plasticity” in the left ventricular muscle of the heart – both markers of a healthier heart.

Length of publication:  1 webpage

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement:  BBC Health News

Cycling commuters have lower rates of heart disease and cancer

Source: NHS Choices

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Date of publication: April 2017

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell: Want to live longer? Reduce your risk of cancer? And heart disease? Then cycle to work,” BBC News advises, prompted by a new study that found UK commuters who cycled to work had lower rates of cancer and heart disease, compared to other types of commuters.

The study was well designed as it included more than 200,000 adults working full time away from their homes and aged between 40 and 69 years. Commuting on a bicycle was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and death from any cause, while those walking to work only had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement:  NHS Choices              

Moderate physical activity linked with 50% reduction in cardiovascular death in over-65s

Source: UK Health Forum

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Date of publication: August 2016

Publication type: Study

In a nutshell: Moderate physical activity is associated with a greater than 50% reduction in cardiovascular death in over-65s, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2016 today (27 Aug 2016). The 12 year study in nearly 2500 adults aged 65 to 74 years found that moderate physical activity reduced the risk of an acute cardiovascular event by more than 30%. High levels of physical activity led to greater risk reductions.

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Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement:   UK Health Forum

Can exercise offset some of the harms of regular drinking?

Source: NHS Choices – Behind the Headlines

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Date of publication: September 2016

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell: A study suggests exercise may compensate for some, but certainly not all, of the harms associated with excessive alcohol consumption. This latest study looked at deaths from cancer and cardiovascular disease, as well as premature death in general

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement:  NHS Choices – Behind the Headlines

WHO’s recommended level of exercise too low to beat disease – study

Source: The Guardian www.theguardian.com

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Date of publication: August 2016

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell: Higher levels of physical activity can achieve bigger reductions in the risk of five common chronic diseases, but only if people engage in levels far above the recommended minimum exertion, a study has suggested.

An analysis of 174 studies found that gardening, household chores and more strenuous activities, when done in sufficient quantities, were strongly associated with a lower risk of stroke and of contracting breast and bowel cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

But researchers from the US and Australia concluded that for the biggest risk reductions, total physical activity per week should be five to seven times the minimum level recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement:    The Guardian www.theguardian.com

 

One in ten Brits admit to doing no physical activity in the last ten years

Source: British Heart Foundation

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Date of publication: January 2016

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell:

Over three quarters of Brits are unaware of the recommended minimum amount of physical activity needed every week and are not keen to get active. Our Physical Activity Specialist Lisa Young, comments: “I’m not surprised to learn just how little awareness there is around the recommended minimum amount of exercise people should aim for every week. However, it is very concerning that over one in ten Brits have not been physically active for over ten years and over a third simply blame it on their own laziness! “Physical activity is essential for your heart health and should not be ignored. Not only can keeping fit help reduce your risk of heart disease, it can help you control your weight, reduce blood pressure/cholesterol and improve your mental health.”

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement: British Heart Foundation

Can fidgeting improve your health?

Source: British Heart Foundation

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Date of publication: November 2015

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell: We analyze news coverage of research suggesting that fidgeting can erase the damaging effects of spending a lot of time sitting down.   “Fidgeting can help you live longer” and “Restlessness at work can save your life” were the optimistic headlines in some newspapers. They were responding to a study that looked at the effects of fidgeting on the damaging effects of spending a lot of time sitting down.

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement: British Heart Foundation

Test fitness at primary school

Source: BBC Health News

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Date of publication: June 2015

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell:  Children should be tested for fitness, as well as maths and English, to reduce inactivity, say health campaigners. Campaign group ukactive says the UK faces a “ticking time bomb” of health problems due to lack of exercise. Its report says only half of seven-year-olds in England are active for an hour a day, and says more activity should take place in the classroom. “We should focus on the health of our hearts, not just the size of our waists,” say the authors.

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement: BBC Health News

Cardiorespiratory fitness and ideal cardiovascular health in European adolescents

Source: Heart journal

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Date of publication: December 2014

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell:  The results suggest a hypothetical cardiorespiratory fitness level associated with a healthier cardiovascular profile in adolescents. The fitness standards could be used in schools as part of surveillance and/or screening systems to identify youth with poor health behaviours who might benefit from intervention programmes.

Length of publication: 9 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement: Heart journal

Hourly two minute walk may be beneficial to health

Source: Medical News Today

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Date of publication: May 2015

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell:  There is a wealth of evidence to show that prolonged sitting is bad for health, but new research has discovered that just a two minute walk every hour may counteract this risk. The researchers used data from 3,243 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and followed them over a three year period. To minutes of light activity, such as walking, was linked to 33 percent lower risk of premature death compared to sitting.

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement: UK Health Forum

Raising the Heartbeat of the Nation: A five-step plan for a more active population

Source: Sport and Recreation Alliance

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Date of publication: February 2015

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell:  In the run up to the election the Sport and Recreation Alliance want to highlight the additional benefits the sector has to the health of the nation on a physical, social and economic scale. This Minister’s To-Do List offers, to any future government, a concise, easily understandable programme from those within sport and recreation which, if implemented fully, would remove some of the obstacles that currently stop sector from realising its full potential.

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement: UK Health Forum