How much exercise is enough? It might be less than you think.

It’s summer time, the days are long and you know this is the time of year you should be really getting those hours of exercise in. But the day has flown and once again your nominated 90 minutes for exercise has been squashed to 30. There’s no point now right? Agh…Think again!! 

At Beyond Health we know that regular exercise is one of the cornerstones for maintaining good health. But while the health benefits of exercise are indisputable, there is still a question about exactly how much exercise is needed to promote optimal health.

According to a recent study the answer may be “not as much as you might think.” As little as 15 minutes a day of moderate-intensity exercise and only 8 minutes a day of vigorous-intensity exercise reduced the risk of death. The authors concluded that even a small amount of exercise may have substantial health benefits compared with being sedentary, and even people who claim to be “too busy to exercise” can find this amount of time.

For every additional 15 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise beyond this, there was a further 4% reduction in the risk of death. The greatest benefit was seen in people who exercised for an average of 63 to 88 minutes a day, and vigorous-intensity exercise was better than moderate-intensity exercise.

Another new study found that young adults who were physically fit (as measured by endurance testing on a treadmill) had a lower risk of developing heart and blood vessel disease over the next three decades. For each additional minute a person was able to stay on the treadmill, there was a 15% reduction in the risk of death and a 12% reduction in the risk of heart and blood vessel disease.

So the story is this: You don’t have to be an athlete to achieve health benefits from physical activity. Even small amounts of exercise and modest increases in fitness can make a clear difference, and some exercise is ALWAYS better than no exercise. 

Just remember, every bit counts. Stay motivated. Stay active. Be Better!