Health
Men May Need More Exercise Than Women
Health Points
- New research shows men should aim for almost twice as much weekly exercise as women to reduce heart disease risk.
- Women saw significant heart health benefits at 150–250 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week, while men needed much more for the same results.
- Experts attribute these differences to hormones and muscle composition, urging regular movement for heart health in everyone.
Fresh findings suggest men and women may need different exercise goals to best protect their hearts—especially as we age. The research monitored over 85,000 adults and found men must exercise nearly double the time women do to achieve similar reductions in heart disease risk.
For women, the familiar recommendation of 150 minutes of movement a week lowered the risk of heart disease by 22 percent. The same effort saw only a 17 percent drop in men, and to reach the women’s 30 percent benefit level, men needed over 500 minutes per week.
“It’s a complex issue, but there clearly are some differences between men and women and exercise’s impact on disease risk,” says Kevin Shah, MD, cardiologist and program director at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute in California.
Experts say factors like hormone levels and muscle fibers are likely at play, with women’s physiology offering extra cardiovascular perks from fewer minutes of activity.
“That allows them to gain more cardiovascular benefit from less activity compared to men,” shares Dr. Ragavendra Baliga, a cardiologist at The Ohio State University.
While only one in five adults gets the recommended exercise, cardiologists highlight that any movement is valuable, and more can amplify heart protection. Regular, brisk activity—even 40 minutes a day if possible—plus strength training twice a week is suggested as a heart-healthy goal for both sexes.
“Studies like this demonstrate that something is better than nothing,” encourages Dr. Shah.
Take charge of your heart health with consistent activity, and feel empowered to adjust your exercise routine to suit your needs—because every step counts.
