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If you're not a fan of exercise , you might want to look away now. New research suggests that those who regularly partake in fitness activities generally use 'fewer heartbeats' each day and could even be adding years to their lives. The recent study, led by Australia's Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, analysed data from over 100 individuals to gain a better understanding of the relationship between training frequency and heart rates over a 24-hour period. All participants were encouraged to go about their normal daily routines whilst wearing a heart monitor, with the collected data later scrutinised by scientists. Read more A Place In The Sun's Laura Hamilton shows off muscles as she hits back at trolls On average, non-athletes had around 109,440 beats per day, while athletes showed roughly a 10% decrease, with approximately 97,920 beats daily. Although this may seem like a minor difference, scientists suggest it could actually indicate that increased fitness is linked to greater metabolic efficiency. Professor La Gerche, a co-author of the study and head of the HEART Laboratory, said: "That's an incredible saving of about 11,500 beats a day. Even though athletes' hearts work harder during exercise, their lower resting rates more than makeup for it." While heart rates often go unnoticed, the British Heart Foundation states that a normal resting pulse typically ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. During physical activity, your heart rate usually increases to between 130 and 150 beats per minute, reports the Mirror . If someone's resting pulse is unusually slow, it could signal heart troubles. Generally, however, a slightly slower rate suggests the heart is functioning more efficiently and doesn't need to pump as vigorously to circulate blood. Concerning athletes, Professor La Gerche explained that a lower resting heart rate also indicates better health prospects, cutting long-term cardiovascular risks. His views echo the conclusions of numerous other academic studies. Professor La Gerche went on: "The fitter you are, the more metabolically efficient your body becomes. Even if you're training hard for an hour a day, your heart beats more slowly for the other 23 hours. The net effect is fewer beats used overall." He also remarked: "Exercise is strongly linked with improved mental health, longer lifespan and lower rates of heart disease...The biggest bang for your health buck is going from unfit to moderately fit. "Just a few hours of purposeful exercise each week can transform your heart's efficiency and help make every beat count. It may even extend your life by years." The NHS also recognises countless benefits of regular exercise. It states: "To stay healthy, the UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines, on GOV.UK, state that adults should try to be active every day and aim to do at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week, through a variety of activities. "For most people, the easiest way to get moving is to make activity part of everyday life, like walking for health or cycling instead of using the car to get around. However, the more you do, the better, and taking part in activities such as sports and exercise will make you even healthier."
