Short Bursts of Exercise--U.S. Guidelines

"There ain't nothing from the outside can lick any of us."– Margaret Mitchell

Guess what I found in the January 8, 2013 edition of the Wall Street Journal? Get a load of this title: “Exercise in Short Bursts Is Effective.” A study in a sports and exercise journal  had  the following: U.S. guidelines :  It recommend  that Americans get 150 minutes(2 1/2 hours) of physical activity a week, with the activity accumulated in bouts of at least 10 minutes.

Boston researchers tracked the physical activity of 2,109 men and women enrolled in a larger long-running study of cardiovascular risk factors from the years 2008 to 2010. These individuals were 47 years of age on average-more than half were overweight and were tracked for eight days. On average, these individuals engaged in a half an hour of moderate and vigorous intensity exercise a day of which involved short bursts of activity totaling around 10 minutes. Moderate exercise was defined as walking briskly, heavy cleaning, badminton and golf while vigorous exercise included hiking, jogging, farming, shoveling and competitive sports such as tennis and soccer.

10% of men and 15% of the women met the US guidelines of at least 150 minutes of exercise in bouts of 10 minutes or more. When all the physical activity was both greater or less than 10 minutes in length was considered 56% of men and 47% of the women were compliant with the research guidelines.

.Compared with non compliant subjects all those that met  the US weekly exercise guidelines regardless of how  the150 minutes were accrued had lower triglycerides,  waist circumference  loss, lower  BMI’s  and  improved cholesterol scores. Exercising, the researchers found, had a stronger impact on the cardiovascular risk factors in women compared with men.

So once again it pays to exercise especially if you are female. Let’s do a little math. If you divide 150  minutes  by 7 days you get approximately  21 minutes per day; if you divide 150 minutes by six days you get  25 minutes per day; if you divide 150 minutes by five days you get  30 minutes per day.

Do you know of anyone who would have difficulty complying with the” moderate or vigorous definitions” used in current US guidelines for 150 minutes a week? If you know of somebody that would have this difficulty, I would like to hear about it and about their circumstances. Remember, exercise can be as little as 10 minutes per episode. I’m sure that most of us have the time to exercise. More than likely it’s not about” time “; it’s likely about will, desire, motivation and fortitude. If you can’t find the time to exercise now, I’m sure you shall find the time when you are ill and uncomfortable.

For those of you that are on the couch, I suggest you consider starting with a 10 minute walk per day. In seven days you will have totaled 70 minutes and well on your way to meeting this guideline. I’m sure you know someone that can benefit from exercise so don’t forget to let them know.

Tomorrow, Alpha, Chris, and Madhu are joining me for the Jed Smith 50 K. run in Sacramento. Super Bowl Sunday, Linda and I are hosting it. Keep moving and run for your life. Your health depends on it.