The government's recommendations regarding the daily number of minutes of physical activity necessary for health could be overwhelming. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that children, adolescents, and adults be physically active 60 minutes a day if they want to prevent weight gain. The Institute of Medicine recommends at least 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity each day for everyone.
You might be tempted to give up on attempting any kind of physical activity, despairing your ability or desire to achieve the high standard. Don't. Although your health is improved with 60 minutes of exercise each day, you can get along fine with less.
Some Activity Better Than None
While activity performed longer or at a higher intensity offers more health benefits (including weight management), this level of activity may not be a realistic goal for everyone, at least not to start with. Many Americans, for whom the term "exercise" brings up negative images and emotions, can improve their health with a less formidable goal.
Various government agencies recommend that adults strive to meet either of the following physical activity recommendations:
- Adults should engage in moderate intensity physical activities for at least 30 minutes on five or more days of the week (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine) or
- Adults should engage in vigorous intensity physical activity three or more days per week for 20 or more minutes per occasion (Healthy People 2010)
"Given that there are 40 to 50 million U.S. adults who are sedentary, 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity is a good starting point, and this message needs to be reinforced," said Dr. Steven Blair. "Building up to 60 minutes of moderate intensity per day may further reduce the risk of weight gain over time and will provide additional health benefits." Dr. Blair served as senior scientific editor of the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health.
Here a Little, There a Little
There's even more good news for people who are activity-challenged. If you can't exercise continuously, you can still benefit from increased physical activity. Shorter bursts of activity, such as a 10-minute walk to the bus stop, contribute to better health – especially when combined with other activity throughout the day.
An American College of Sports Medicine study found that intermittent exercise (specifically, 10 to 15 minute sessions that accumulate to 30 or 40 minutes per day) seems to be as effective as continuous sessions.
What 30 Minutes Gets You
Numerous health benefits can be derived from just 30 minutes of cumulative moderate activity on most days of the week. Regular physical activity substantially reduces the risk of dying of coronary heart disease, the nation's leading cause of death, and decreases the risk for stroke, colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Physical activity also helps to control weight; contributes to healthy bones, muscles, and joints; reduces falls among older adults; helps to relieve the pain of arthritis; reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression; and is associated with fewer hospitalizations, physician visits, and medications.
Every Bit Helps
Sure, you will improve your fitness level and health with 60 minutes of exercise. That's a great goal. You might improve your health even more with 2 hours of physical activity a day. But if you're one of the more than 50 million sedentary Americans out there, the best kind of physical activity is one that you'll actually do.
Make your goal to be physically active 10 minutes today and tomorrow, slowly working up to a cumulative total of 30 minutes on most days of the week. If you later decide that 60 minutes each day is achievable, go for it. |
