Adults should get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week, depending on
World Health Organization. But people who exceed those levels live longer than those who don’t.
“It is also important to note that we found no harmful associations between people who reported (more than four times) the minimum recommended levels of long-term moderate and vigorous physical activity in leisure time,” he added in an email.
Examples of moderate activity include brisk walking, mowing the lawn, or playing doubles tennis, while vigorous activity includes things like walking, jogging, or playing soccer,
according to the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
The study results support current WHO physical activity guidelines, but also push higher levels to see even more benefits in living a longer life, Lee said.
How to add more movement
You may be thinking, “10 hours a week of moderate activity sounds like a lot. There’s no way I can combine that with all my other responsibilities.”
And yes, it may take some intentionality and effort. But studies have also shown the best ways to work exercise into routines are to stick with them.
A mega-study published in December 2021 showed that the best exercise programs include planning when you exercise, receiving reminders, offering incentives, and discouraging missing more than one workout in a row.
“If people hope to increase their physical activity or change their health behaviors, there are very low-cost behavioral insights that can be incorporated into programs to help them achieve greater success,” said lead author of the December study, Katy Milkman. , James G. Dinan Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of
How to change: the science of getting from where you are to where you want to be.”
And you don’t have to add it all at once. Just 11 minutes of exercise a day made a difference in life expectancy,
according to a 2021 study.
You can take a brisk walk outside or on the treadmill, do four sets of a three-minute bodyweight exercise sequence, practice a yoga flow or choose three upbeat songs to dance to, said Dana Santas, a fitness contributor at CNN, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports.
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