Fitness Benefits Help Larger Women Live Longer

Find out how being fit may help larger women live longer. Women who wish to live a long life may want to focus more on being fit than thin.

Researchers from the Cooper Institute in Texas followed more than 11,000 women for about 12 years on average. The women underwent different types of body measurements, and took a treadmill test to measure their fitness. Their fitness level was then classified as low, moderate, or high.

The researchers found that women who were fit and had a normal body mass index had lower rates of death compared to the unfit women who were in any category of body mass index. But here’s some interesting take-home news: The fit women who happened to have a high body mass index or large waist didn’t have a higher risk of death than the fit women with a normal weight.

According to the researchers, women don’t even need a high level of fitness to gain a lot of benefit. They conclude that just getting 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise weekly may be enough for many women to attain an adequate level of fitness.