**Women Benefit More from Exercise Than Men, Study Finds**
A new study published Monday in *Nature Cardiovascular Research* reveals that women experience significantly greater health benefits from exercise compared to men. Researchers found that, with the same amount of physical activity, women have a three-fold reduction in their risk of death from heart disease compared to men.
These findings challenge the traditional “one-size-fits-all” exercise guidelines, which assume that both sexes receive the same benefits from identical amounts of exercise. The research team, led by Jiajin Chen, a research associate at the Xiamen University Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in China, emphasized the need for sex-specific physical activity recommendations.
> “Compared with male individuals, females derive equivalent health benefits with only half the exercise time,” the team wrote. “The findings might have potential to encourage females to engage in physical activity.”
### Study Details
The study analyzed data from over 85,000 participants enrolled in the UK Biobank, a large-scale, long-term health research project in the United Kingdom. Each participant wore activity trackers on their wrists, providing objective measures of their physical activity levels.
The results showed that to reduce their risk of heart disease by 30%, men need about 530 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise each week. Women, on the other hand, need only 250 minutes—less than half the amount—to achieve similar benefits.
When looking at the current exercise guidelines, women who met the recommended target of 150 minutes of weekly exercise had a 22% lower risk of heart disease. Men who met the same target experienced a 17% reduction in risk.
### Why Might Women Respond Better to Exercise?
Researchers suggest several physiological reasons for the differences between men and women. One key factor is estrogen—circulating estrogen levels are much higher in females and can promote body fat loss during physical activity.
Additionally, crucial differences in muscle mass composition between men and women might contribute to why exercise provides better cardiovascular benefits among females.
### Addressing the Gender Gap in Physical Activity
These findings come at a time when women are generally less physically active than men and are also less likely to address their heart disease risk factors adequately.
Dr. Emily Lau, director of the Women’s Heart Health Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, commented on the study in an accompanying editorial:
> “This study provides strong evidence that a one-size-fits-all approach cannot and should not be used to guide physical activity recommendations for men and women.”
She added,
> “Despite this apparent female physical activity advantage, previous work has shown that women are consistently less physically active and less likely to achieve recommended activity targets, highlighting the need to more specifically tailor physical activity recommendations to women.”
### Additional Resources
For more information on the benefits of physical activity for women, visit the American Council on Exercise website.
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This research underscores the importance of personalized exercise guidelines that account for differences between men and women to optimize heart health outcomes for all.
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2025/10/29/exercise-benefits-women-men-study/6441761756213/