In a 2-year randomized controlled trial, researchers studied 61 healthy but sedentary adults in their early 50s, assigning half to a progressive exercise program and half to a control group. The exercise regimen included regular interval training sessions alongside moderate activities such as cycling or hiking, averaging 4–6 hours per week.
After two years, the exercise group displayed dramatic improvements in how their cardiovascular systems regulated blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiac output. Specifically, their hearts became more responsive to filling pressures and more efficient at adjusting heart rate in response to blood pressure changes. Overall, the integrated cardiovascular regulation gain improved by about 34% compared to no change in the control group.
This research led to the development of an exercise regimen designed to maintain heart health and reverse aging effects, named ‘Prescription for Life’:
- 4-5 weekly workouts, each lasting 30 minutes or more.
- One high-intensity session per week (e.g., 4×4 interval training, where heart rate reaches 95% of peak for 4 minutes, followed by 3 minutes of recovery, repeated 4 times).
- One longer session (1 hour) at moderate intensity—can include activities like tennis, dancing, walking, or biking.
- 1-2 moderate-intensity sessions (breaking a sweat but able to hold a conversation).
- 1-2 strength training sessions per week.