What should be the Minimum Time to Spend on Exercising?
Unless paired with a practical exercise regime, diet alone can never bring your weight down. Regular, consistent, and well-monitored physical activity is essential for losing weight and staying at an arm’s length from various lifestyle conditions and diseases like obesity, diabetes, high BP, cardiovascular illness, and osteoporosis. It would be prudent to include exercise as a regular lifestyle choice to become fit, healthy, and happy. But how much is the minimum amount of time you should spend on exercising if you don’t have lofty fitness goals and need to stay healthy and reasonably fit?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adults aged 18–64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout a week. The WHO suggests that specified adults should do 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical exercise throughout the week or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous-intensity activity.
EXERCISE APPROACH
There are several ways to ensure the recommended quota of 150 minutes per week for yourself. You can perform physical activity in multiple short bouts, of atleast 10 minutes each, spread over a week, to reach the goal of 150 minutes. For instance, you could spend 30 minutes every day brisk walking outdoors or on home exercise equipment like a treadmill five times a week.
However, if you have a specific goal in mind, like weight loss or participation in a sporting event, you may need to spend more time (up to 300 minutes or more) on a workout that should ideally include a good mix of both cardio and strength training.
Pregnant and postpartum women and those with cardiac issues should get medical advice and take extra precautions before starting an exercise program that meets the minimum time requirement. We must remember that some activity is better than no activity at all.
CARDIO EXERCISES
Cardio exercises are crucially important for our overall health and well-being. A good cardio workout pumps oxygenated blood throughout the body, improving metabolism and making our hearts and lungs stronger. According to experts, we should practice at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of intense cardiovascular exercise every week.
A consistent cardio routine, including walking, running, or cycling, can help us lose weight, strengthen immunity, enhance endurance levels, boost energy, and prevent diseases. Fitness equipments such as treadmills, bikes, and elliptical trainers are excellent for cardio workouts and losing weight. You can use them at a gym or also in the comfort and privacy of your home. We believe that even a 20 to 30-minute workout on such equipment is enough to mobilize your body, boost blood circulation and burn calories.
STRENGTH TRAINING
With age, we start losing significant muscle mass and instead start storing fat. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, our metabolism begins to slow down. To reverse this process, we should invest our time in weight training or load-bearing exercises which help us gain our muscles back. According to Mayo clinic, we should do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. Aim to do a single set of each exercise, using a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.
At OneFitPlus, we advise everyone to try Weight training as it is beneficial in shedding extra calories, increasing bone density, boosting metabolism, developing flexibility, and augmenting our stamina. Weight training can increase a person’s metabolic rate for up to 12 hours after a workout, which means you tend to burn calories even while sitting. Lifting weights can also keep several diseases at bay.
BENEFITS OF BEING PHYSICALLY ACTIVE
As compared to less active or inactive adults, those who are committed to being physically active, even on a minimum time frame basis, enjoy the following benefits:
· Reduced risk of contracting illnesses like metabolic syndrome, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease.
· Less prone to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
· Have lesser chances to get bone fractures.
· Can shed weight and even manage to keep it that way.
· Have a better immune system and a regular sleep cycle.
· Enjoy a healthy body along with muscular fitness.
Try and practice some activity routine at home, including yoga, stretching, bodyweight exercises, and even household chores to avoid the hazard of inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle. A few extra steps per day can go a long way in keeping you healthy.
