Walking Compared with Vigorous Exercise for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Women

It is generally accepted that physical activity reduces the risk of coronary events. This study focused on whether walking, an activity of only moderate intensity, protects against coronary events in postmenopausal women. Walking was associated with risk reductions similar to those associated with vigorous exercise. The findings applied equally to both white women and black women. In postmenopausal women, brisk walking for at least 2.5 hours per week reduces the risk of coronary events. Physical activity has been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in epidemiologic studies, 1 , 2 but data for women and members of minority ethnic groups have been sparse. Moreover, the specific role of walking, the most common form of exercise among women, 3 has been addressed only minimally. Federal guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine, 4 as well as the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, 3 endorse at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week, in contrast to earlier guidelines . . .