The benefits of exercise have been duly noted and your resolutions have been made. Yes, you want to be fit and live a long and healthy life. But what do you actually have to do to get those results?
No sweat: The smart guide to exercise
Forget the latest fad 鈥� here鈥檚 our evidence-based guide to workout success, and the truth about the advice you can ignore
According to standard advice issued by the World 午夜福利1000集合 Organization, adults should be getting or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week to extend their lives, get fit, have stronger muscles and be a healthy weight. If that didn鈥檛 already sound a lot, the WHO says to double that if you want to reap further benefits.
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The good news for the exercise-averse is that it鈥檚 possible to stick to these guidelines without entering a gym or breaking into a jog. The WHO鈥檚 definition of moderate exercise includes domestic chores and gardening, as well as more niche pursuits such as traditional hunting and gathering.
This idea fits with evidence from a study last year of more than 130,000 people in 17 countries, which found that walking to work and household chores such as vacuuming or scrubbing the floor are activity enough to reduce the risk of early death by 28 per cent, as long as you do 150 minutes a week.
If you aren鈥檛 one for housework, you will be pleased to hear that your weekly dose of exercise can be crammed into the weekend with no ill effects, says Gary O鈥橠onovan of Loughborough University, UK. Most governments urge people to do a little every day, or at least spread their exercise over the week. But his team analysed data from more than 63,000 adults in the UK spanning 18 years and found that people who opted for a 鈥渨eekend warrior鈥� regime had from all causes, including cardiovascular disease and cancer, as those who spread out exercise. 鈥淥ne weekly bout is usually sufficient to reduce mortality and morbidity,鈥� O鈥橠onovan says. Even weekend warriors who did less than the recommended amount for the week fared better than inactive people.
Could you ever get too much of a good thing? 鈥淣o level of exercise is too much,鈥� says O鈥橠onovan. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no increase in mortality or morbidity if you keep increasing the amount.鈥� Just don鈥檛 go too hard each time.
Exercising three to five times a week should set you up for a long and healthy life, especially if you mix up activities, says , a biomechanicist at Loughborough University. 鈥淏ut running 10 to 15 miles, seven days a week, on a road will probably lead to injuries.鈥�
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淗ow and when should I exercise?鈥�
