New research suggests that women may get even stronger heart-health benefits from exercise compared with men. Published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, the study analyzed physical activity data from more than 85,000 people using wrist-worn activity trackers.

While heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, current guidelines recommend the same amount of weekly exercise for all adults—at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week. But evidence has long hinted at sex differences in how exercise affects health.

This study confirmed those differences:

Key Findings

• Among participants without heart disease, women who met the recommended 150 minutes per week had a 22% lower risk of coronary heart disease, compared with 17% in men.

• When activity levels increased, women achieved the same risk reduction with 250 minutes per week as men did with 530 minutes per week.

• Among participants with existing heart disease, meeting exercise guidelines was linked to a three-fold greater reduction in death risk for women compared to men.

The results suggest that women’s bodies may respond more efficiently to physical activity, giving them more protection per minute of exercise.

Researchers emphasize that although the overall message, “move more,” is the same for everyone, sex-specific exercise guidelines could strengthen prevention and treatment strategies, especially for coronary heart disease.

More diverse research is still needed, but the evidence shows that regular activity may be especially powerful for improving heart health in women.

So, ladies, if you weren't competitive to start, maybe this will get your juices going?