New Study Shows How Much Exercise Is Best
Regular exercise can provide many physical, mental and emotional benefits – such as lowering the risk of developing high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and obesity. It can also help manage anxiety and has even been linked to reducing the risk of certain types of cancers.
Physical activity guidelines published by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2018 recommend that adults perform at least 150 minutes of moderate activity, or 75 minutes of intense activity, per week. Moderate physical activity includes walking, weightlifting and lower-intensity exercise, while vigorous exercise is defined as running, bicycling and swimming.
While many studies correlate regular workouts with improved health and well-being, they also suggest that overly extended or intense exercise may cause injuries or chronic inflammation. What level of physical activity is best to maintain a person’s health and fitness? A recent study published in the journal Circulation provides guidance on this question.
The study reveals that those who exercise two to four times above JAMA’s moderate physical activity recommendations have a 26% to 31% lower risk of mortality and a 28% to 38% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality. Additionally, adults who exercise two to four times above JAMA’s vigorous physical activity recommendations have a 21% to 23% lower risk of mortality and a 27% to 33% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality.
For people who already have high levels of moderate physical activity, the research suggests that any combination of medium to high levels of vigorous and moderate physical activity can provide nearly the maximum mortality reduction. Also, people who are insufficiently active could substantially lower the risk of early death by adding modest levels of either exercise.
The study also suggests there is a lower risk of mortality among individuals who have adequate levels of vigorous and moderate physical activity, regardless of their age. It also concludes there is no harmful effect of high, long-term vigorous physical activity on cardiovascular health – which calls into question earlier evidence linking exercises such as marathons, triathlons and long-distance cycling races with adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
This joins a recent body of research showing that adding shorter workouts to your weekly exercise routine may be more beneficial than extended ones. For example, intense exercise such as running up a few flights of stairs or sprinting a few hundred yards are associated with measurable health benefits. In these situations, the intensity matters more than the duration and can actually help strengthen muscles and the cardiovascular system.
In addition to running and walking, aerobic, weight-bearing and stretching exercises can be part of a balanced exercise program. Together, they can help to maintain and improve strength, balance, agility and stability. It may prove challenging to make exercise a part of your daily routine, but the best workout is the one you continue doing!
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