Are Current Exercise Guidelines WRONG?!
You know that exercise is good for you.
I’ve often told you that it doesn’t take much to get huge health benefits, either. In fact, simply walking more steps during the day makes a difference.
But if you’re already exercising regularly, instead of wondering how little you can do to have a positive impact on your health, you may be wondering the opposite:
Is MORE exercise BETTER?
Researchers recently asked that question, and you might be surprised by the answer.
Current guidelines recommend we all get:
- 75-150 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week
OR
- 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity per week
Researchers analyzed data from more than 100,000 people over 30-years to determine if MORE exercise would be better.
Here’s what they found.
For Vigorous Activity
Those who met the guidelines for vigorous activity (75-150 minutes/week) had a…
- 31 percent lower risk of cardiovascular mortality
- 15 percent lower risk of non-cardiovascular mortality
- 19 percent lower risk of dying from any cause during the follow-up period
However, the folks who exercised 2-4 times ABOVE the recommended time for vigorous physical activity (150-300 minutes/week) had their risks plummet even further:
- 27-33 percent lower risk of cardiovascular mortality
- 19 percent lower risk of non-cardiovascular mortality
- 21-23 percent lower risk of dying from any cause
For Moderate Activity
But, just as I told you earlier, you don’t have to turn into an exercise fanatic to see some seriously impressive benefits.
The study participants who met the guidelines for moderate activity (150-300 minutes/week) had a…
- 22-25 percent lower risk of cardiovascular mortality
- 19-20 percent lower risk of non-cardiovascular mortality
- 20-21 percent lower risk of dying from any cause
However, when the moderate activity folks stepped up their game even further and performed 2-4 times ABOVE the recommended time for moderate physical activity (300-600 minutes/week), they had even GREATER risk reductions:
- 28-38 percent lower risk of cardiovascular mortality
- 25-27 percent lower risk of non-cardiovascular mortality
- 26-31 percent lower risk of dying from any cause
Exercising for longer amounts of time than this didn’t provide any additional reduction in the risk of death.
As you can see, more IS clearly better. But even hitting the recommended targets significantly lowers your risk of dying from heart disease or any cause.
It’s not because it magically extends lifespan. It’s because it reduces your risk of problems like heart disease, diabetes, and dementia.
And that translates to more than just a longer life. It translates to a better one.
P.S. So exercise helps us live longer. But what kind of exercise is BEST? You might be surprised by the answer. Click to find out.
SOURCE:
“Long-Term Leisure-Time Physical Activity Intensity and All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: A Prospective Cohort of US Adults,” 25 July 2022, Circulation, DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.058162
