ISLAMABAD: We all know exercise is good for us but exactly how much should and what types should we do?
While some experts suggest short and strenuous bursts, others would argue more moderate forms for longer periods give the most health benefits.
The good news is, the most significant health benefits come from minimal exercise, a new study claims.
Just five minutes a day of vigorous exercise like running or 15-minutes of brisk walking or riding a bike – is all you need for your body to reap the benefits.
In the latest study, Dr Thijs Eijsvogels and Dr Paul Thompson compared the effects of varying amounts of moderate and vigorous exercise on cardiovascular disease and mortality rates.
The smallest amount of exercise to make a difference to health is 105 minutes a week, the study said
They found the ‘lowest effective dose’ – that is the smallest amount of exercise to make a difference to health – was the equivalent of 105 minutes a week.
This falls well below the NHS guidelines for adults, which recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity per week.
Moderate activity will raise your heart rate and make you breathe faster and feel warmer. One way to tell if you’re working at a moderate level is if you can still talk, but you can’t sing the words to a song.
Officials call for half an hour of brisk walking, cycling or gardening, five days a week, to keep healthy.
But the research, based on a number of previous studies and published in JAMA, suggests less can be done to achieve the same benefits.
While they noted a Harvard University suggested people should undergo 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week, another 15-year study found it made no difference.
And short bouts of sweat-inducing activity amounting to just 35 minutes a week were found to reduce the risk of dying from heart disease.
Short bouts of sweat-inducing activity amounting to just 35 minutes a week have been found to reduce the risk of dying from heart disease
The scientists also cited Danish research which suggested increasing the amount of exercise people do did result in mortality benefits, undertaking more than 240 minutes per week had no additional health advantages.
However doctors Eijsvogels and Thompson stressed exercise is key to better health – stating they would never discourage people from doing more exercise.
‘We agree that any dose of exercise is better than physical inactivity and did not intend to discourage individuals from pursuing more exercise.
‘Performance of vigorous exercise is an effective way to reduce the risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
‘However, the dose-response relationship between exercise and cardiovascular health appears to be different for moderate-intensity vs vigorous-intensity activities.’