Overall , the current literature supports clearly the dose-response relationship between physical activity and the seven chronic conditions identified .
Moreover , higher levels of physical activity reduce the risk for premature all-cause mortality .
The current Canadian guidelines appear to be appropriate to reduce the risk for the seven chronic conditions identified above and all-cause mortality
This systematic review examines critically the scientific basis for Canada 's Physical Activity Guide for Healthy Active Living for adults .
Particular reference is given to the dose-response relationship between physical activity and premature all-cause mortality and seven chronic diseases ( cardiovascular disease , stroke , hypertension , colon cancer , breast cancer , type 2 diabetes ( diabetes mellitus ) and osteoporosis ) .
The strength of the relationship between physical activity and specific health outcomes is evaluated critically .
Leisure Time, Occupational, and Commuting Physical Activity and the Risk of Stroke
Background and Purpose — The role of physical activity , especially that of occupational and commuting physical activity , in the prediction of stroke risk is not properly established . We assessed the relationship of different types of physical activity with total and type-specific stroke risk . Methods — We prospect ively followed 47 721 Finnish subjects 25 to 64 years of age without a history of coronary heart disease , stroke , or cancer at baseline .  Hazard ratios ( HRs ) for incident stroke were estimated for different levels of leisure time , occupational , and commuting physical activity . Results — During a mean follow-up of 19.0 years , 2863 incident stroke events were ascertained . The multivariate-adjusted ( age , sex , area , study year , body mass index , systolic blood pressure , cholesterol , education , smoking , alcohol consumption , diabetes , and other 2 types of physical activity ) HRs associated with low , moderate , and high leisure time physical activity were 1.00 , 0.86 , and 0.74 ( Ptrend<0.001 ) for total stroke , 1.00 , 0.87 , and 0.46 ( Ptrend=0.011 ) for subarachnoid hemorrhage , 1.00 , 0.77 , and 0.63 ( Ptrend=0.024 ) for intracerebral hemorrhage , and 1.00 , 0.87 , and 0.80 ( Ptrend=0.001 ) for ischemic stroke , respectively . The multivariate-adjusted HRs associated with none , 1 to 29 , and ≥30 minutes of active commuting were 1.00 , 0.92 , and 0.89 ( Ptrend=0.043 ) for total stroke , and 1.00 , 0.93 , and 0.86 ( Ptrend=0.028 ) for ischemic stroke , respectively . Occupational activity had a modest association with ischemic stroke in the multivariate analysis ( Ptrend=0.046 ) . Conclusion — A high level of leisure time physical activity  reduces the risk of all subtypes of stroke . Daily active commuting also reduces the risk of ischemic stroke
Overall , the current literature supports clearly the dose-response relationship between physical activity and the seven chronic conditions identified .
Moreover , higher levels of physical activity reduce the risk for premature all-cause mortality .
The current Canadian guidelines appear to be appropriate to reduce the risk for the seven chronic conditions identified above and all-cause mortality
This systematic review examines critically the scientific basis for Canada 's Physical Activity Guide for Healthy Active Living for adults .
Particular reference is given to the dose-response relationship between physical activity and premature all-cause mortality and seven chronic diseases ( cardiovascular disease , stroke , hypertension , colon cancer , breast cancer , type 2 diabetes ( diabetes mellitus ) and osteoporosis ) .
The strength of the relationship between physical activity and specific health outcomes is evaluated critically .