Moderate and high levels of leisure time and occupational physical activity are associated with a reduced CVD and all-cause mortality among both sexes. Promoting already moderate levels of leisure time and occupational physical activity are essential to prevent premature CVD and all-cause mortality.

The global epidemic of chronic non-communicable diseases is closely related to changes in lifestyle, including decreasing leisure time physical activity (PA). Physical inactivity is a major public health challenge. To respond to that challenge, it is essential to know which personal and environmental factors affect PA behaviour. Certain life events may be one contributing factor, by creating emotional distress and disrupting a person's daily routine. The aim was to examine the literature concerning the effects of life events on changes in PA. A systematic literature search was performed on studies that assessed at least one major change in life circumstances and a change in PA. To be included, studies had to assess PA at two timepoints at least (before and after the event). Diseases as life events were excluded from this review. Thirty-four articles met the inclusion criteria. The studies examined the following life-change events: transition to university; change in employment status; marital transitions and changes in relationships; pregnancy/having a child; experiencing harassment at work, violence or disaster; and moving into an institution. The studies reviewed showed statistically significant changes in leisure PA associated with certain life events. In men and women, transition to university, having a child, remarriage and mass urban disaster decreased PA levels, while retirement increased PA. In young women, beginning work, changing work conditions, changing from being single to cohabiting, getting married, pregnancy, divorce/separation and reduced income decreased PA. In contrast, starting a new personal relationship, returning to study and harassment at work increased PA. In middle-aged women, changing work conditions, reduced income, personal achievement and death of a spouse/partner increased PA, while experiencing violence and a family member being arrested or jailed decreased PA. In older women, moving into an institution and interpersonal loss decreased PA, while longer-term widowhood increased PA. In addition, experiencing multiple simultaneous life events decreased PA in men and women. Major life events have a strong effect on leisure PA behaviour. Consequently, people experiencing life events could be an important target group for PA promotion. More research is needed to examine the short- and long-term effects of different life events on PA, gender differences in the effects of life events and the specific determinants of PA change during life events.

The present study suggests that commuting and leisure-time physical activity were favorably associated with cardiovascular risk factors in this Chinese population, except that more than 60 min of physical activity was associated with high blood pressure.

Thermoregulatory responses to exercise in relation to the phase of the menstrual cycle were studied in ten women taking oral contraceptives (P) and in ten women not taking oral contraceptives (NP). Each subject was tested for maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) and for 50% VO2max exercise in the follicular (F) and luteal (L) phases of the menstrual cycle. Since the oral contraceptives would have prevented ovulation a quasi-follicular phase (q-F) and a quasi-luteal phase (q-L) of the menstrual cycle were assumed for P subjects. Exercise was performed on a cycle ergometer at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees C and relative air humidity of 50%. Rectal (Tre), mean skin (Tsk), mean body (Tb) temperatures and heart rate (fc) were measured. Sweat rate was estimated by the continuous measurement of relative humidity of air in a ventilated capsule placed on the chest, converted to absolute pressure (PH2Ochest). Gain for sweating was calculated as a ratio of increase in PH2Ochest to the appropriate increase in Tre for the whole period of sweating (G) and for unsteady-state (Gu) separately. The VO2max did not differ either between the groups of subjects or between the phases of the menstrual cycle. In P, rectal temperature threshold for sweating (Tre,td) was 37.85 degrees C in q-L and 37.60 degrees C in q-F (P < 0.01) and corresponded to a significant difference from Tre at rest. The Tre, Tsk, Tb and fc increased similarly during exercise in q-F and q-L. No menstrual phase-related differences were observed either in the dynamics of sweating or in G.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

High levels of leisure-time physical activity are associated with a reduced risk of hypertension, independently of most common risk factors for hypertension, occupational physical activity and commuting activity. Promoting leisure-time physical activity is essential to prevent hypertension.