Healthnotes Newswire (March 22, 2001)—Doctors have long been aware that women who exercise are less likely to suffer from heart disease than those who do not. The only question has been: how much exercise is necessary to achieve this benefit? According to a study published in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association,¹ the answer is not much.

The new study analyzed the exercise habits and heart disease risk of nearly 40,000 women over the age of 45. Women who walked regularly, even at a leisurely pace for as little as one hour per week, were 50% less likely to have a heart attack or to require surgery for blocked coronary arteries. No increased benefit was found in women who walked the same distance at a more brisk pace. The more often the women walked, the lower their risk of coronary heart disease, regardless of pace.

The authors concluded that regular walking reduces the risk of developing heart disease, regardless of the intensity of exercise. This is good news for women who have struggled with maintaining more strenuous exercise programs.