How Much Exercise is Enough?
If you're not exercising at all, some activity is better than none. Simply turning off the television and doing house-work or taking a walk can lower your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other health problems. If sedentary men and women were to burn up just 150 calories a day by walking, gardening, vacuuming, or dancing, they would lower their relative heart attack risk more than veteran exercise-exercisers who increase the duration or intensity of their ness routine. If you've been inactive, start small and gradually rtail crease how long, how hard, or how often you exercise. le, you By varying your activities and breaking them into 15 or 20 minute periods, you may find that it's easier than you rinciple expected to spend an hour in motion 48 Use it While some activity is good, more is better. Over the years exercise guidelines have changed. In the past, health officials recommended a minimum of twenty minutes ofvigorous activity three times a week. More recently, the American College of Sports Medicine, the United States Surgeon General, and Health Canada's physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living has recommended a mini mum of 30 to 60 minutes of moderate activity(such as walking at a speed of three to four miles per hour most days of the week to reduce the risk of cardiovascular dis- ease. In its most recent Dietary Guidelines, the National Academy of Sciences suggests 60 minutes of moderate exercise every day in order to maintain a healthy weight and gain additional health benefits. As a recent 10-year study confirmed, light to moder ate exercise, such as thirty minutes of brisk walking five days a week, may lead to other health benefits but does not prolong life or protect against fatal heart problems. Only vigorous exercise reduced the risk of dying of heart disease and of premature death from other causes.