How much exercise do we really need?
Think back to last week. How much exercise / physical activity / movement did you do?
Do you use a fitness tracker to monitor and record your activity?
Apparently, we are very good at over estimating how much exercise we do! Unless we use a fitness tracker which gives us objective, accurate measurements.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and The UK Government guidelines (see links below) recommend the following for adults:
150 – 300 mins of Moderate Intensity per week
(Moderate = Fast walking where you can hold a conversation but can’t sing!)
That’s a minimum of 2.5 hours or 30mins 5x per week
or 75 – 150 mins of Vigorous Intensity per week (Vigorous = Walking up hill or running, conversation is difficult) That’s a minimum of 1hr 15mins per week
There are different recommendations for children, pregnant and postpartum women and adults with disabilities. Please follow link to access these:
UK GOV physical activity guidelines
In addition to aerobic or cardio activity which raises the heart rate, we need to STRENGTHEN. An often overlooked area of importance. As we age, we naturally lose strength. We peak in our 20’s and 30’s and then very gradually decline. It’s recommended that we do 2 sessions of strengthening activity that targets all of our major muscle groups. This can be as little as 7 mins. Here’s a link to a scientifically proven workout video that does just that:
Lastly, if you’re in a sedentary job, don’t worry! The negative effects of having a sitting job, can be offset by getting the minimum, physical activity recommendations. Also, having a 2min movement break every 20mins can have significant metabolic benefits. Set a timer to remind you to get up and move every 20mins. Schedule in a 30min power walk to your day, do a 7min strengthen workout twice per week and you’re sorted.
