Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle and its benefits are well known and have been for a long time. What is only recently proven by doctors is just how much exercise makes a difference for one’s longevity.
By now, most people understand that exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle; its benefits are well known and have been for a long time. What is only recently proven by doctors is just how much exercise makes a difference for one’s longevity.
For most people who sit at desks or behind the wheel all day, the problem is often finding time to work out. The good news, according to Dr. Julie Chen, an internal medicine and lifestyle medicine doctor at Kaiser Permanente in Gaithersburg, is that a daily exercise routine can be broken down into brief segments.
“The general recommendation is for 150 minutes of moderate activity per week,” Dr. Chen said. “So that is roughly about 30 minutes a day, five days a week. But the important point is it does not have to all be done at once. You can break it up into shorter segments of exercise and still get the same great benefits.”
And those benefits can be tremendous. Chen said that studies have shown going from no exercise a day to only 15 minutes of total exercise a day can “can actually decrease their risk of death, death from all causes, by about 14%.”
“Any movement is actually better than being sedentary,” she said.
Movement can be divided up into short segments throughout the day instead of in one long, strenuous workout and it can still offer the same reductions in the risk of certain diseases.
Now, you might understand there are benefits of exercising for short periods of time, several times per day; but you might be wondering how you can get in the gym several times a day.
Chen advocates for what she calls “exercise snacks” — “small bursts of physical activity that you can get in, two to three minutes at a time throughout the day.”
For example, taking the stairs or doing squats while putting groceries away, walking around the office on a phone call or planking while your dinner is in the microwave. Chen said try to do whatever it takes to get a few minutes of movement in a few times a day.
Chen is also a big fan of fitness apps, including the ones that come built into our smartphones and watches: “Studies have shown that that is really motivating that you can actually track your progress in your app. You can see your trends.”
“Consistency is a really big goal of this effort, and so if you look at your trends over time, that’s going to be a really rewarding aspect of trying to improve your health,” she added.
Beginning an exercise regimen doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming. You don’t need to splurge on workout clothes or a gym membership; you just need a few minutes, several times a day, to start reaping the benefits.
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