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Stay fit to stay out of the hospital, researchers say

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Photo: lzf/iStockphoto

Your cardio routine could be helping to keep you out of the hospital, results of a recent study show.

A team from the University of Gothenburg looked at data for more 91,000 adults who had undergone a fitness test between 1986 and 2019. They compared that data to a national registry of hospital admissions.

The result? The people who improved or maintained their aerobic fitness had 11% and 7% fewer hospitalizations, respectively, than those who didn’t keep up their cardio workouts.

The results were even better when researchers looked at admissions related to cardiovascular disease: Increased and maintained aerobic fitness was associated with 13% and 9% fewer admissions.

The researchers say you can increase or maintain your cardiorespiratory fitness by engaging in physical activity of sufficient intensity for 15 minutes three to five days a week. 

The study was published online in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

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