There’s rarely enough time in the day to
accomplish everything we set out to do, and exercise is often sacrificed when
we are short on time. Federal guidelines recommend fitting two and a half hours
of moderate
physical activity into our lives each week — and making time for
muscle-strengthening exercises.
اضافة اعلان
I sometimes find
this guidance daunting, and I’m not alone. I grew curious about the research:
How much physical activity does a person need to live longer and reduce their
risk of
chronic disease? How frequently do they actually need to work out?
Exploring the
science and talking to researchers generated surprising information, like you
do not need to work out every day, and stretching does not automatically
prevent injuries.
Here are
research-based insights that might make you more excited to work out.
You can keep
workouts short
The
US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults
get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week from activities like
biking or swimming. That corresponds to just over 20 minutes a day. Still, you
can benefit from doing less, said Dr I-Min Lee, a public health researcher who
studies exercise at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
The first 20
minutes of physical activity per session confer the most health perks, at least
in terms of longevity, Lee said. As you continue working out, “the bang for
your buck starts to decrease” in terms of tangible health rewards, she added.
No need for
intensity
If high-intensity interval training and hard-core spin classes make you
want to hide, do not worry. You do not have to sweat profusely or feel wrecked
after a workout to reap some rewards.
Any physical
activity that gets your heart beating a little faster is useful. If you have
never tracked your heartbeat while exercising, it might be worth trying. For
moderate exercise, the recommended target is roughly 50 percent to 70 percent
of your body’s maximum heart rate. (To calculate your maximum heart rate,
subtract your age from 220.) Many people will hit this target during a brisk
walk, said Beth Lewis, a sport and exercise physiologist at the
University of Minnesota.
Estimating your
maximum heart rate can help you gauge how hard you should be walking, running
or cycling. But it’s not perfect, since your natural heart rate during exercise
may be higher or lower. Plus, the fitness levels and heart rates among people
the same age can vary, and not all exercises raise your heart rate the same amount.
Consider talking to your doctor before establishing your goals.
Focus on health,
not weight loss
Many people exercise with weight loss in mind, but merely increasing
physical activity usually is not effective. In a 2011 review of 14 published
papers, scientists found that people with bigger bodies who did aerobic
exercise for at least two hours a week lost an average of only 1.5kg over six
months. And in a small 2018 clinical trial, women who did high-intensity
circuit training three times a week did not see significant weight loss after
eight weeks. (They did, however, gain muscle.)
Exercise
improves your overall health, and studies suggest it has a larger effect on
life expectancy than body type. Regardless of your size, exercise reduces your
risk of heart disease, some kinds of cancer, depression, Type 2 diabetes,
anxiety, and insomnia, Lewis said.
Weekend-only
routines are fine
I’ve always assumed that the healthiest exercisers work out almost every
day, but research suggests otherwise. In a study published last month,
researchers followed more than 350,000 healthy
American adults for an average
of over 10 years. They found that people who exercised at least 150 minutes a
week, over one or two days, were no more likely to die for any reason than those
who reached 150 minutes in shorter bouts. Other studies by Lee and her
colleagues have drawn similar conclusions.
When it comes to
possibly living longer, “it’s actually the total amount of activity per week
that’s important,” Lee said. But, she added, if you work out more often, you
are less likely to get injured.
Stretching is
optional
Recommendations to stretch before and after workouts annoy me,
especially if I’m pressed for time. But research suggests that stretching does
not actually reduce your risk of injury.
Instead of
static stretching — doing things like touching your toes — Lewis recommends
doing dynamic stretches before you exercise, such as gently swinging each leg
forward and back while standing. Static stretching can, however, help increase
muscle flexibility and joint mobility, she explained. But now I know not to
worry if I don’t have time to do it.
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