Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women in the United States.
Experts say exercise is one way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
In a new study, researchers say older women don’t necessarily have to do daily intense exercise to improve their heart health.
They say daily activities such as gardening, housework, and stretching for 4 hours a day can reduce the risk of heart disease.
It’s well-known that exercise is good for cardiovascular health.
That’s particularly important information for women. They tend to have higher deathsTrusted Source from cardiovascular disease more often than men. Cardiovascular disease, in fact, is still the leading causeTrusted Source of death for women in the United States.
However, you don’t need to run a mile or head to the gym every day to reap the benefits.
For older women, being up and about for routine tasks — cleaning, gardening, and stretching — for at least 4 hours can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A new studyTrusted Source published in the the Journal of the American Heart Association looked at how daily movement affects heart health in older women in the United States.
Scientists measured the physical activity of more than 5,400 women in the United States between the ages of 63 and 97 without heart disease at the start of the study.
