Regular exercise promotes good health because it reduces the risk of heart attacks and helps prevent diseases such as hypertension, obesity, osteoporosis and depression. But how long should we exercise and how often? And how should our workouts be structured?
The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association have answered these questions with a study involving men and women between the ages of 18 and 65.
The results of this study will appeal to people with little free time to exercise. They show that just 30 minutes of daily exercise is enough to prevent many health problems.
In addition, this useful half hour can be divided into three blocks of 10 minutes throughout the day.
The frequency of weekly exercise is determined by the intensity of each session: for example, jogging is considered a high-intensity activity and walking is a low-intensity activity. Intense exercise can improve our health with training only three times a week, while low-intensity exercise requires training five times a week.
In addition to aerobic exercise, experts recommend strength training. Training twice a week on the main muscle groups and stretching will be enough to maintain and improve physical fitness.
Only 30 minutes. You can exercise at home or in the office.
In fact, to stay healthy, it is not necessary to have access to a fully equipped gym – it is enough to have at hand effective and safe accessories, such as dumbbells.
For example, for stretching, you can choose any universal trainer, a mat for exercises on the floor. Take care of your health even when you’re traveling.
However, exercise equipment and machines are not the only means to maintain good health. Researchers also emphasize the importance of doing everyday tasks, albeit small ones. A quick walk from home to work can be the first step toward a new, easy way to stay fit.