| Do you believe that housework, gardening or slow | | | | heart rates, which is a sign of heart strength. |
| walking will make you fit? Unfortunately (or | | | | The authors of this study concluded that while |
| fortunately, depending on your point of view), | | | | the new recommendations on physical activity |
| there is no evidence that housework is good | | | | may be achievable by a larger proportion of the |
| exercise. Doctors used to recommend exercising | | | | population, there is very little evidence that some |
| thirty minutes three times a week, but over the | | | | of the suggested activities, such as housework, |
| past ten years, extensive research has | | | | have any significant health benefit. Other studies |
| encouraged doctors to shift from recommending | | | | confirm that you can't become fit unless you |
| three bouts of vigorous exercise a week to more | | | | exercise vigorously enough to markedly increase |
| moderate activity that fits into a daily routine. This | | | | your heart rate. |
| includes activities such as housework, gardening, | | | | To become fit, you have to exercise vigorously |
| and slow walking. The theory is that people are | | | | enough to make your heart stronger. That means |
| more likely to achieve a goal of using small chunks | | | | that intensity makes you fit and no amount of |
| of time doing leisurely activities than performing a | | | | very casual exercise will make your heart strong. |
| scheduled vigorous exercise program. Many | | | | Your heart is a muscle. The only way to |
| doctors felt that this would provide more health | | | | strengthen a muscle to exercise it against |
| benefits to more people, especially older people. | | | | increasing resistance. The pumping of skeletal |
| Researchers selected over 2300 women aged | | | | muscles during exercise forces a large amount of |
| between 60 and 79 from 15 British towns.* | | | | blood to fill the chambers of the heart, forcing it |
| Previous research has indicated that most women | | | | to contract against increased resistance from the |
| in this age group are relatively inactive. This study | | | | increased blood from your leg muscles. Pumping |
| showed that the women who engaged only in | | | | against increased resistance makes your heart |
| heavy housework, slow walking and gardening | | | | stronger and you more fit. So if you want to |
| were terribly unfit and often overweight. Women | | | | become fit, you need to pick up the pace of your |
| who walked briskly for 2.5 hours a week were | | | | exercise at least twice a week. |
| far slimmer than the group who did housework. | | | | *Dr Debbie Lawlor, "Is housework good for |
| The brisk walkers also had far slower resting | | | | health? |