That exercise has a positive effect on health should be obvious by now. However, how much exercise is needed and in what way, opinions still differ. In the United States, new guidelines for exercise were also published in the journal JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) at the end of 2018. The main change compared to the previous guideline from 2008 is that even a little bit of exercise provides a lot of health benefits.
Positive effects of exercise
Sufficient exercise promotes health in young and old. In toddlers as young as three, exercise already strengthens bones. In children aged six and over, exercise improves cognitive functions. Regular sport and exercise reduces the risk of chronic diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, dementia and cancers) in adults and the elderly. An active lifestyle improves quality of life and mental health (the risk of depression, for example, decreases). Why is it that it is still so difficult to get moving, when everyone knows that sufficient exercise offers so many health benefits?
Setting achievable exercise goals
Many people are reluctant to exercise or say that their busy lives prevent them from doing so. However, getting in motion does not necessarily have to be exercising, but can also be fitted into your daily routine by making slightly different choices. First of all, it is important to know how much you actually need to exercise to have a positive effect on your health.
How much should you move?
An adult should get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week, according to the new exercise guidelines. In addition, muscle-strengthening exercises are recommended on at least two days a week. It is now clear that even shorter exercise periods have benefits that make the new guidelines more achievable than the previously applicable 2008 guidelines.
Some health benefits of exercise are also immediate. For instance, exercise lowers blood pressure and reduces blood fat concentration while increasing sensitivity to insulin. So it is a misconception that you have to train for weeks or years to become healthier.
What is moderate-intensity exercise?
When we talk about moderate-intensity exercise, you can think of: walking, gentle cycling, shopping, gardening and housework. Among other things, moderate exercise has a positive effect on your heart and lungs. It also burns calories. When you do a light activity for more than 15 minutes at a time, your body starts burning body fat. If you do moderate-intensity exercise regularly, the unhealthy fat in your belly, around the liver and intestines, for instance, decreases. And that is very important.
An added benefit of moderate-intensity exercise is that it causes little or no joint wear.
What is high-intensity exercise?
High-intensity exercise includes sports such as running, hockey, football, aerobics, squash and tennis. High-intensity exercise increases your heart rate significantly and causes you to sweat profusely. You also breathe deeper. It causes you to pant, making you unable to talk properly. High-intensity exercise burns many more calories than moderate-intensity exercise. This makes sense because half an hour of running is physically much more intense than half an hour of walking. The calories you burn then are a mix of body fats and carbohydrates.
Intense exercise increases your sense of fitness. It is also an ideal means of discharging stress.
In short: get moving!
Everyone benefits from an active lifestyle. There are already big health gains to be made if you switch from an inactive lifestyle to a little regular exercise. Stretch your legs if you sit for more than 30 minutes, take the stairs at work, take your bike to the supermarket or go for a walk during your lunch break. All these short bursts of exercise add up to more health gains than you might suspect.
Also read our article: How much exercise do you need to stay healthy?
Sources: Paul D. Thompson, Thijs M. H. Eijsvogels - New Physical Activity Guidelines. A Call to Activity for Clinicians and Patients
Physical Activity Guidelines for Health and Prosperity in the United States
