Exercise helps you live longer by reducing risk of:
Stroke, Heart Attack, High Blood Pressure, Coronary Artery Disease, Diabetes, Cancer, Falls
Fitness is a better predictor of health and longevity than almost any factor studied. Specifically, data now show that:
- “Lack of fitness is more significant than smoking, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol levels as a risk factor for heart disease and premature death;
- Physical activity also appears to relieve the symptoms of depression and anxiety, improving mood and enhancing the ability to perform daily tasks.”
From ShapeUp.org
General Exercise Guidelines
The Surgeon General recommends at least 30 minutes a day of physical activity to be healthy. This number is based on studies which show that many health problems—including heart attack, stroke, and diabetes—are lower among people who are active for at least 30 minutes a day. This may sound like a lot, but when you realize this includes activities like walking, vacuuming, and gardening it is obviously more feasible.
Many people are confused by the different recommendations that are issued at regular intervals. While the National Academy of Sciences recommends 60 minutes of physical activity each day, another frequently sited guideline is three 20-minute sessions of aerobic work each week. The conflicting advice is due to several reasons: different organizations use different measures and, more importantly, are looking at different results. The 60 minute guideline is for losing weight, the 30 minutes a day is about reducing health risks, as mentioned above.
The bottom line is that no one really knows how much you should exercise. There is a lot more to be studied and each person’s objectives and situations vary. If you have an active job, you have less need for structured exercise. If you sit at a desk all day, you should be conscientious about incorporating physical activity into your life. If you want to lose weight, you’ll have to do more.
Whatever your situation, don’t get discouraged or confused by recommendations and guidelines—get moving. Anything more than you’re doing now (unless you already exercise a lot) is good. Ideally, do some aerobic activities more than once a week, such as running, fast walking, dancing, swimming, or biking. For weight loss, you have to spend more time and effort. But whatever you do, don’t sit around all the time.
Stay tunes for more specifics on getting fitter.
