How Much Exercise Do YOU Need?
Physical inactivity may be one of the most significant public health problems for this century in the US. (The Number One problem is our diet, followed by smoking.)
“Does that mean if you eat healthy food and don’t smoke that you can stop exercising?” First, let’s quickly look at the evidence.
Benefits of daily exercise
Daily exercise improves mental and cognitive health, helps prevent cancer, improves immune function, reduces blood pressure, and improves sleep quality. And finally, it extends your lifespan. “But why would you like to live longer if you are unhealthy?” (That’s a question for another time.)
In the US, we collectively exercise enough to reduce the national body mass index by one percent, two million cases of diabetes, and approximately one and a half million cases of stroke and heart disease. (There are about 209,100,000 adults in the US!)
How much should we exercise?
That depends … on whether you want the information that the experts think you want to hear and might be achievable … or you want to listen to what the science tells us.
Previously, the CDC recommended at least 30 minutes per day of moderate aerobic exercise.
The current guidelines suggest that adults get at least 150 minutes per week or 20 minutes per day.
The current walking minutes per week and how it equates to a reduction in mortality rate:
- 60 minutes per week reduces your mortality rate by 3 percent
- 150 minutes per week reduces your mortality rate by 7 percent
- 300 minutes per week reduces your mortality rate by 14 percent
Conclusion:
Moderate walking one hour per day five days a week at the rate of four miles per hour will give you twice the benefit. That said, 90 minutes per day is even better.
The alternative to not getting enough exercise
You are probably thinking that 60 or 90 minutes a day is a lot of time. Consider this, getting sick also takes a lot of time. There are doctor appointments and testing. Medications cost money and have numerous side effects.
Health conditions interfere with living an active life. Heart disease may require surgery. Many diabetics require medication or injections. Diabetes causes other health problems such as neuropathy and vision problems.
Once you develop health issues, they may never completely go away. That’s why it is so important to devote time to prevention— actually schedule time on your calendar. For example, the weekend is a great time to have a longer workout.
Bottom Line: If you are not very active now, start small with 20 or 30 minutes 2 or 3 days a week. Gradually increase the time. Of course, any physical exercise is better than no exercise. Just start today!
If you would like support on your wellness journey or to know more about my services, send me a message or call (973) 476-8661.
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