Women exercise less than men

Women are more susceptible to illness and depression because they don't exercise as much as their male counterparts

Women are less likely than men to get 30 minutes of exercise a day, according to new study at Oregon State University. The lack of exercise means more women are likely to develop metabolic syndrome - a group of risk factors including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and weight gain around the middle.

This increasingly prevalent condition heightens the risk of coronary diseases, stroke and Type 2 diabetes.

The study, which looked at over 1,000 men and women found females were getting around 19 minutes of moderate exercise a day compared to men who racked up a total of 30 minutes.

The researchers also found one in five women had symptoms of depression, putting them at higher risk of abdominal fat and insulin resistance.

‘Physical activity has been shown to reduce depression, so the key message here is to get that 30 minutes of exercise every day because it reduces a great deal of factors,’ says Bradley Cardinal, from OSU.

The study fails to explain the reasons behind women’s shortfall, however researchers predict the findings could be caused by a lack of confidence and the pressure of time constraints due to children. CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH NEWS