Adherence
Maintaining or initiating regular physical activity is associated with improved cardiorespiratory fitness (measured by maximal treadmill test time) in healthy adults aged 25-55, with the greatest improvements seen in those with lower baseline fitness who transition from sedentary to active.
If you are currently sedentary, starting any regular physical activity (like walking or jogging) will significantly improve your cardiorespiratory fitness, potentially more so than if you were already active. You do not need to be an athlete to see benefits; simply moving more is the key lever for improving treadmill endurance.
In the follow up study, persons who remained or became active had better MTT than persons who remained or became sedentary. ... Participants in the lowest quintile had more improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness if they changed from a sedentary to an active lifestyle than did participants in the higher baseline fitness groups.
Why this rating
Large longitudinal cohort (n=5707) with controlled covariates, but relies on self-reported physical activity.
Source
Effects of physical activity on exercise tests and respiratory function
Yiling J. Cheng et al. · British Journal of Sports Medicine · 2003
DOI 10.1136/bjsm.37.6.521
More from this paper
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
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