Unsurprisingly, if you can only put in a couple of hours of exercise each week, you need to make it count. The World Health Organization recommends running, biking uphill, playing soccer or netball, or doing aerobics.
If that sounds dire, a more reassuring 2021 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that 30-40 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day was enough to offset a sedentary lifestyle, and even just 11 minutes of exercise a day made a difference in life expectancyas long as you are fairly active most of the day.
Gardening
Time required: 150 to 300 minutes per week
More attainable for most of us are exercises that fall into the “moderate” category. Brisk walking, vigorous gardening, or even leisurely swimming count as moderate exercise, according to the World Health Organization, and five hours a week should do the trick. And most of the time, it’s just about keeping the pounds off. “Being active can help maintain a healthy weight, which reduces the risk of 13 different types of cancer,” explains Karis Betts, Senior Director of Health at Cancer Research UK. “No matter your age, health, or how busy you are, there are plenty of ways to be more active. Anything that makes you hotter, makes you a little breathless and makes your heart beat faster counts. It doesn’t matter if you’re going for a bike ride with a friend or doing chores around the house, these all count as ways to be active.”
Lifting weights
Time required: Less than one hour per week
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