This may not matter to you much if you don’t exercise very often, but for those who try to get in the recommended 30 minutes of activity per day, listen up: those 30 minutes might no longer do the trick.
A new study published in Circulation has discovered that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise may not be enough for your heart and body as a whole. Researchers reviewed studies that looked at more than 370,000 men and women with varying levels of physical activity, according to the Washington Post. They found that individuals who exercised for 30 minutes each day saw a “modest reduction” in heart failure risk. However, people who exercised two-to-four times as much had a “substantial reduction” in heart failure risk (up to 35 percent).
So what does this mean if you’re only fitting in 30 minutes?
In short, you aren’t doing any harm — you just aren’t doing as much as you should in order to reduce your risk. Jarett Berry, senior author of the study, told the news source that policymakers should create stronger recommendations for physical activity pertaining to heart failure.
For those of you who aren’t too fond of hitting the gym, it’s worth noting that the American Heart Association currently recommends that middle-aged adults engage in at least two hours and 30 minutes of exercise per week. Brisk walking is an option, but this may not be enough, depending on your family history and disease risk factors.
Fitting Exercise into Your Daily Routine
Whether you have kids or a demanding job, you aren’t alone in the battle to find more time in each day. However, there are ways you can sneak a bit if physical activity into your routine if you don’t always have an opportunity to visit the gym.
Taking the stairs (rather than the elevator) whenever possible is an option that continues to grow in popularity, particularly among those of us who can’t find time to jump on the treadmill. Walking or cycling to your daily destinations, whether it’s work or school, is also an efficient way to squeeze in some exercise.
If all else fails, use every spare moment you have to get up and walk around. In between meetings, meals and sending emails, try to find a couple of minutes to walk and just move. Taking a two-minute break once in a while may reduce your risk of an untimely death by up to 33 percent!
Sources
Cha, Ariana Eunjung. Wilborn, Nobles. “New study says 30 minutes of exercise a day not enough. You should double or quadruple that.” The Washington Post. October 6, 2015.
Titlow, John Paul. “Sitting All Day Will Kill You, But a 2-Minute Walk Could Change That.” FastCompany. May 1, 2015.