Physically active work not as beneficial as leisure-time exercise: study

Shandong, China – Recreational workouts may help reduce the risk of hypertension, but job-related physical activity does not appear to have the same effect, according to a new study from Shandong University.

Researchers reviewed 13 studies from different countries involving a total of 136,846 people – 15,607 of whom later developed hypertension, the study abstract states. Exercising more than four hours a week was associated with a 19 percent lower risk of high blood pressure compared to exercising less than an hour a week. Yet people in physically demanding jobs saw no such benefit; they had the same high blood pressure risk as sedentary workers.

The study was published online Sept. 30 in the journal Hypertension.