New York — Rarely is there enough time in a day to do everything you set your mind to. U.S. federal government guidelines recommend that you build 2.5 hours of moderate physical activity into your life each week to give yourself time to strengthen your muscles.
I find this guidance daunting at times, and I’m not alone. Only 25% of US adults met these recommendations in 2020. Therefore, I became interested in this research. How much physical activity do people need to live longer and reduce their risk of chronic disease? How often do they really need to exercise?
Exploring the science and talking to researchers yielded some surprising information, including that you don’t need to exercise every day, and that stretching doesn’t automatically prevent injury.
Discover research-based insights that will motivate you to work out.
Workouts can be kept short
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week from activities such as biking and swimming. This equates to just over 20 minutes a day. Still, I-Min Lee, Ph.D., a public health researcher who studies exercise at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, says you can benefit from exercising less.
According to Dr. Lee, the first 20 minutes of physical activity in each session has the most positive health impact, at least in terms of longevity. As you continue working out, “the bang for your buck starts to diminish” in terms of tangible health rewards, she added.
A study published in March estimated that adding just 10 minutes a day to the current exercise regimen for Americans over the age of 40 could save 111,000 lives each year.
But what if you only have five to ten minutes to exercise? Do it. Carol Ewing Gerber, Ph.D., exercise scientist at his College of Columbia University Teachers, said: It is also possible to experience mental health benefits, such as reduced anxiety and improved sleep, immediately following moderate to vigorous physical activity.
no strength needed
If a high-intensity interval workout or serious spin class makes you want to hide, don’t worry. You don’t have to be rewarded for sweating profusely or feeling tired after your workout.
Physical activity that makes your heart beat a little faster can help. If you’ve never tracked your heart rate while exercising, it might be worth a try. For moderate exercise, the recommended target is approximately 50% to 70% of your maximum body heart rate. (To calculate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220.)
Dr. Beth Lewis, a sports and exercise physiologist at the University of Minnesota, says brisk walking helps many achieve this goal.
By estimating your maximum heart rate, it helps you measure your intensity while walking, running or cycling. However, it’s not perfect because your natural heart rate can be higher or lower during exercise. Additionally, people of the same age may have different fitness levels and heart rates, and not all exercises raise heart rate by the same amount. please give me.
“Even just moving your body in some way helps,” says Dr. Garber. “That’s a really important message.”
Focus on health, not weight loss
Many people exercise with weight loss in mind, but increasing physical activity alone is usually not effective. Larger people who went two hours or more found that they lost an average of only 3.5 pounds in six months. Also, in a small 2018 clinical trial, a woman who did high-intensity circuit her training three times a week did not lose significant weight after eight weeks. (But they gained muscle.)
Studies suggest that exercise improves overall health and has a greater impact on longevity than body shape. No matter your size, exercise reduces your risk of heart disease, certain cancers, depression, type 2 diabetes, anxiety, and insomnia, says Lewis.
Even weekend routines are OK
I always assumed that the healthiest exercisers were exercising almost every day, but research shows that’s not the case. In a study published last month, researchers have followed more than 350,000 healthy American adults for an average of over 10 years. As a result, people who exercised more than 150 minutes a week over a day or two days were more likely to die for any reason than those who exercised more than 150 minutes. was not high. Other studies by Dr. Lee and her colleagues have drawn similar conclusions.
When it comes to potential longevity, “what really matters is total activity per week,” says Dr. Lee. But she added that the more often you exercise, the less likely you are to get injured.
stretching is optional
I get annoyed when people suggest stretching before or after a workout, especially if you’re pressed for time. But research shows that stretching doesn’t actually reduce your risk of injury. “It used to be a mandatory part of ‘Don’t stretch or you’ll get hurt,'” Dr. Lewis said. “That way of thinking is wrong.”
Instead of static stretches like touching your toes, Dr. Lewis recommends doing dynamic stretches before exercise, such as gently rocking each leg back and forth while standing. But static stretching can help increase muscle flexibility and joint mobility, she explained.
This article was originally published in The New York Times.
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