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Researchers found that lower-intensity daily activities, such as household chores, can significantly reduce the risk of stroke.
According to a research study from San Diego State University (SDSU), vacuuming, mopping, walking a pet, or playing tag may be enough activities to avoid a stroke.
Strokes can be very serious. According to the CDC, 1 in 6 deaths from cardiovascular disease in 2020 was due to stroke. Also, in the United States, every 40 seconds someone suffers a stroke and every 3.5 minutes someone dies from a stroke. Overall, about 795,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke.
What can someone do to reduce their risk of stroke? Fortunately, new research has a simple answer.
Imagine watching The Batman four times a day or driving a whopping 390 miles each way each day. Each uncomfortable decision takes about 12 hours — or the same amount of time most Americans sit through the day.
The dangerous consequences of prolonged inactivity in humans are well known. Sitting too much increases your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases, including depression. To offset the serious side effects of a sedentary lifestyle, doctors recommend adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-intense aerobic exercise per week.
Doctors have found that doing daily household chores can significantly reduce the risk of stroke.
A new study from San Diego State University, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA network openfound that lower-intensity daily activities, such as household chores, can significantly reduce the risk of stroke.
“Low-intensity physical activity may include vacuuming, sweeping floors, washing cars, walking, stretching, or playing tag,” said Steven Hooker, dean of SDSU’s College of Health and Human Services and principal investigator on the cohort study.
“We have observed that both physical activity and physical inactivity independently affect the risk of stroke. Our research shows that stroke prevention strategies should focus on both.”
Hooker and his research colleagues measured the length of time participants were sedentary and the duration and intensity of physical activity in 7,600 adults ages 45 and older, and then compared the data to the participants’ stroke incidence over a seven-year period years.
They found that those who were sedentary for 13 hours or more a day had a 44% increased risk of having a stroke.
“The results are more meaningful because activity and sedentary behavior were measured with an accelerometer, which provides significantly more accurate data than previous studies that relied on self-reported measurements,” said Hooker, a former California Active Aging Project coordinator with a background research into healthy lifestyles for older adults.
Study participants wore a waist-mounted accelerometer, a sensitive motion detector that accurately recorded physical activity and duration of sitting and inactivity.
Although smartphones and smartwatches are valiantly trying to motivate Americans to exercise more, a staggering percentage of adults aren’t getting enough exercise. The CDC reports that only 23% of US adults meet weekly recommendations for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity.
But if 10,000 steps a day or closing an exercise ring seems out of reach on your watch, Hooker says getting up and getting ten minutes of light-to-moderate physical activity a few times throughout the day is an effective strategy for reducing your chances of having a stroke.
“For overall heart and brain health, move as much as you can and sit less,” Hooker said.
Reference: “Association of Accelerometer-Measured Sitting Time and Physical Activity with Stroke Risk in US Adults” by Steven P. Hooker, PhD; Keith M Diaz, PhD; Steven N Blair, PED; Natalie Colabianchi, PhD; Brent Hutto, MSPH; Michelle N McDonnell, PhD; John E Vena, PhD; Virginia J. Howard, PhD, June 3, 2022, JAMA network open.
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.15385
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham,[{” attribute=””>Columbia University Irving Medical Center, the University of South Carolina, Medical University of South Carolina, and the University of Michigan contributed to this study.
This study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institute of Aging.
