It is well known that exercising can improve health and reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, but many people resist the idea when they think about exercising. According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, exercising for 10 minutes a day can reduce mortality by 6.9 percent in adults over the age of 40.
Short bursts of exercising can boost health
Using the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the researchers collected exercise monitoring data from subjects over a one-week period and then compared it to the National Death Index. Both men and women, regardless of ethnicity, benefited from exercise. Moreover, they found a 13 percent reduction in mortality if the subjects exercised up to 20 minutes a day, and 16.9 percent if they exercised for half an hour a day. Exercising does not need to take up a lot of time to improve your health.
The level of exercise studied is known as MVPA, which refers to moderate to vigorous physical activities. MVPA is attained when you reach at least 64 percent of your maximum heart rate. To estimate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. The researchers noted: “To our knowledge, this is the first study to estimate the number of preventable deaths through physical activity using accelerometer-based measurements among US adults while recognizing that increasing activity may not be possible for everyone.”
The health benefits of more vigorous exercise
Vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) is a type of exercise that also has a high health value. To achieve VILPA, you must reach 76 percent of your maximum heart rate. While it does take more effort to achieve that heart rate, benefits are seen within a shorter time of exercising. This is shown in a study conducted by academics from the University of Sydney and Harvard University. According to the study, as little as 5 minutes of vigorous exercise per day was associated with a 26 to 40 percent reduction in mortality and disease rates. As the duration of daily vigorous physical activity continues to increase, the health benefits increase as well.
Vigorous Physical Activity (VPA), defined as physical activity at an intensity of 6 METs (metabolic equivalents) or more, can significantly improve cardio-respiratory fitness and is a time-saving way to achieve the recommended level of physical activity. There are many sports that are considered vigorous physical activity, including brisk walking, bicycling, soccer, and even lifting heavy objects and climbing stairs.
Great tips for getting started
Finding 10 minutes for exercising every day is a lot easier than you might think. Create a playlist of a few of your favorite songs to play during the form of exercising that suits you. When the playlist is finished, you’re done.
Exercising doesn’t have to be hard to be effective. Just a little adjustment to our lifestyle can make a huge difference. You could even find an exercise that you can do while catching up on your favorite show. Even something as simple as parking in the farthest spot away from the grocery store and walking briskly to the door will be beneficial.
Translated by Eva
