For those of you contemplating whether or not to roll out of bed for that morning jog or whether you’re too tired after to work to hit your spin class, this one is for you. A group of two new studies, one out of Australia and the other France, found that exercise in people over the age of 30 is the most important factor in heart disease prevention.

A sedentary lifestyle is the single most important contributing factor to heart disease between age 30 and 90. Getting enough exercise was more important than keeping your weight in check, high blood pressure, and not smoking.

One study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, looked at the risk factors of more than 32,000 women in Australia. For women younger than 30, smoking was the most important risk factor, but for women over 30, it was exercise. In all, the study found that 2,000 women could be saved every year just by getting the recommended weekly allowance of 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, as reported on New York Daily News. Exercise is the key to heart disease prevention.

Another French study found that men between the ages of 55 and 70 greatly benefited from exercise later in life. In fact, the study found no difference in men who started later in life versus men who started earlier.

“[I]t’s never too late to change your way of life and get more physically active,” said lead author David Matelot, reported on New York Daily News.

According to the CDC, if your exercise is more vigorous, you only need 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) every week. It’s well worth the sacrificed sweat in heart disease prevention, especially as you age.

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Image: Jim Pennucci

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