Exercise: It Can Be Less than you Think

Exercise: It Can Be Less than you Think - Regular exercise is one of the building to maintain good health stones. 

Regular physical activity helps prevent heart and blood vessels, diabetes, dementia, and even some cancers. 

But while the benefits of exercise are undeniable, there are still questions about exactly how much exercise is needed to promote optimal health.

According to a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association by Thijs Eijsvogels and Paul Thompson, the answer may be "not as much as you might think."

Each point of the exercise Account 

Drs Thompson and Ijsvogels reviewed several published studies and found that just 15 minutes a day of moderate intensity exercise - and only 8 minutes a day of vigorous-intensity exercise - to reduce the risk of death.

They referred to this as the "lowest effective dose." This means that even a small amount of exercise can have significant health benefits compared to sedentary lifestyle, and even people who are "too busy to exercise "may find this time. 

The exercise beyond the lowest effective dose had more health benefits. For every 15 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, there was an additional 4% reduction in risk of death.

The greatest benefit was seen in people who exercised for an average of 63-88 minutes a day, and vigorous intensity exercise was better than moderate intensity exercise.

Another new study, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, found that young adults who were physically fit (measured by stress test on a treadmill) had a lower risk of heart disease and blood development vessels in the next three decades. For each additional minute a person was able to stay on the strip, there was a 15% reduction in risk of death and a 12% reduction in the risk of heart and blood vessels.

Put the "minimum effective dose" of exercise to work for you

Together, these two new studies also point to one conclusion: you have to be a triathlete to get the health benefits of physical activity. Even small amounts of exercise and a modest increase in fitness can make a clear difference, and a bit of exercise is better than nothing.

If you need to increase your physical activity, it may be a good idea to start counting your steps daily using a Fitbit or similar device (there are free apps for your phone or tablet, you can count your steps). Gradually increase your daily goal, and before you know it, you're on your way to have a longer and healthier life.
By: Gregory Curfman, MD