Exercise Is Great. But Even Light Activities Like Walking and Housework Can Improve Your Health

For many, the phrase physical activity conjures sweaty runs or power-lifting sessions at the gym. But the latest federal guidelines support a much broader — and ultimately less intimidating — definition of what it means to be active: one that includes less obvious pursuits like taking the stairs, raking leaves and even bird-watching. This subtle shift in messaging may help Americans prevent chronic disease, improve their mental health and even live longer, experts say. The new federal physical-activity guidelines were updated in November for the first time since 2008, and they still urge adults to do 75 minutes of vigorous (or 150 minutes of moderate) aerobic activity each week, plus muscle-strengthening sessions like weight-lifting or yoga twice a week. But only 23% of Americans do so, and a recent study found that a quarter of American adults sit for more than eight hours per day. The addition of a simpler imperative to the guidelines—“move more and sit less,” no matter what form that movement takes or how long it lasts—may help more people to meet them. If more Americans follow that credo, they stand to gain significant health benefits. Recent research suggests that activities you’d never think of as exercise, like running errands and cleaning the bathroom, still have longevity perks. In a study of older women published last year in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, with each 30-minute chunk of light activities like ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Exercise/Fitness healthytime Source Type: news