Everyone knows that exercise is good for health but new research is suggesting that it may be a lot more important than we thought. A study published in the American Heart Association Circulation Journal in July 2022 suggests that exercising more than the recommended amount of time may help you live longer 1. Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity a week or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week.
The research study suggests that people who get more than the recommended amount of exercise have a lower risk of early death 1. The study had a total of 116,221 adult participants who completed a questionnaire. A follow-up was conducted after 30 years that identified 47,596 deaths among the participants. This research leads to the question of ‘How do I fit all that exercise into my schedule?’.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute provides the following physical activity tips to help people move more and incorporate more exercise into their lives 2.
Walk Whenever Possible
- Walk instead of drive, whenever you can
- Walk your children to school
- Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator
- Take a family walk after dinner
- Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching TV
- Get off the bus a stop early, and walk
- Park farther from the store and walk
- Make a Saturday morning walk a family habit
- Walk briskly in the mall
- Take the dog on longer walks
- Go up hills instead of around them
Move More in Your Home
- Garden, or make home repairs
- Do yard work. Get your children to help rake, weed, or plant
- Work around the house. Ask your children to help with active chores
- Wash the car by hand
- Use a snow shovel instead of a snow blower
Live Actively
- Join an exercise group, and enroll your children in community sports teams or lessons
- Do sit-ups in front of the TV. Have a sit-up competition with your kids
- Pace the sidelines at kids’ athletic games
- Choose an activity that fits into your daily life / lives
- Use an exercise video if the weather is bad
- Play with your kids at least 30 minutes a day
- Dance to music…with your kids
- Choose activities you enjoy. Ask children what activities they want to do
- Explore new physical activities
- Swim with your kids 2
Key Takeaways
There is no denying that exercise is a healthy habit. Don’t think you have to become a marathon runner just to benefit from exercise. Getting more movement into your everyday life can go a long way.
Resources
- Lee, D. H., Rezende, L. F. M., Joh, H.-K., Keum, N. N., Ferrari, G., Rey-Lopez, J. P., Rimm, E. B., Tabung, F. K., & Giovannucci, E. L. (2022). Long-term leisure-time physical activity intensity and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: A prospective cohort of US adults. Circulation.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Tips to help you exercise more, get active. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Retrieved July 27, 2022