How much exercise should you do?
More.
A new study analyzed physical activity and medical records for more than 100,000 people over 30 years to determine the optimal amount of exercise for longevity.
The results showed that adults who did 2–4 times the recommended amount of physical activity lived the longest.
Current guidelines call for adults to engage in at least 150–300 minutes per week of moderate physical activity or 75–150 minutes per week of vigorous physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both.
The good news is that simply meeting the lower end of these recommendations helps you live longer.
The analysis showed that meeting the guidelines for vigorous physical activity was associated with a 19% lower risk of death and hitting the moderate intensity recommendations resulted in a 20–21% lower risk of death.
That’s a pretty good return on investment for under 30 minutes of exercise per day.
But going above and beyond is even better.
Doing 2–4 times the recommended amount of vigorous physical activity (150–300 minutes per week) was associated with a 21–23% lower risk of death from all causes.
Engaging in 2–4 times more than the recommended amount of moderate physical activity (300–600 minutes per week) led to a 26–31% lower risk of mortality.
Going above 4x the recommendations (300 minutes of high intensity physical activity or 600 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity) was not shown to be harmful, but it didn’t yield any additional health benefits.
The study concluded that performing 150–300 minutes per week of vigorous physical activity, 300–600 minutes per week of moderate physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both, is optimal to maximize lifespan.
A good idea is to take up a sport as this will help you get your exercise in at least a few times per week. Think carefully about what sport might be best for you, and which you think that you will enjoy the most. Do your research, and ensure that you get as much information before you get started.
Consider what types of exercise you could do in order to really test your body’s strength and resilience. For example, Team Ropes are a great piece of equipment to have when it comes to sports, especially where rodeo events are concerned.
If you decide to take up running, which can be an incredible sport to raise your fitness level, make sure to choose a smooth route. While it’s important to challenge yourself, tripping on uneven terrain could lead to a bad injury that could hinder your exercising for a long time. If you’ve been a victim of uneven terrain already, speak to an injury lawyer, especially if it’s on pavement that should have been fixed. A claim could help you get the treatment you need to get back to exercising sooner.
You can look at a site like Pitchmarks for example if you decide to take up golf to get ideas for your game, and reviews.
Very few people achieve this level of physical activity. It is a worthy goal to be one of them.