It’s just 30 minutes a week.
A recent meta-analysis of 116 randomized clinical trials, involving 6,880 participants with overweight or obesity, explored the relationship between exercise duration and health outcomes. The review focused on how different levels of weekly exercise affected body weight, waist circumference, body fat, health-related quality of life, and medication use. The findings support the general idea that increased exercise duration leads to improvements in health markers, with longer exercise sessions resulting in more significant reductions in body weight and body fat.
The study showed that even 30 minutes of exercise per week could produce modest health benefits, such as slight reductions in body weight and waist circumference. However, clinically significant improvements were only observed in individuals who engaged in 150 to 300 minutes of physical activity per week. This reinforces the recommendation that 150 minutes of exercise per week is necessary to see meaningful health benefits, particularly for those looking to reduce body fat and waist circumference.
While the analysis revealed positive trends in physical health outcomes, it did not find strong evidence of a link between exercise and health-related quality of life or medication use. This may be attributed to the types of trials included in the study. Experts like Sarah Pelc Graca, a certified personal trainer, suggested that the 30-minute recommendation is a good starting point but may not be sufficient for achieving significant improvements in long-term health outcomes or for reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
Dr. Mir Ali, a general surgeon, explained that the benefits of exercise are linked to maintaining a higher metabolic rate and burning more calories. He noted that more intense exercise leads to greater benefits, as it can more effectively elevate metabolism and calorie expenditure. For individuals who cannot commit to long periods of exercise, incorporating shorter but more vigorous workouts can help maximize the benefits within a limited timeframe.
Incorporating regular physical activity into a busy schedule can be challenging, but experts recommend strategies like breaking exercise into shorter sessions, scheduling workouts, or incorporating activities like walking after meals or using stairs. Social support, such as joining group fitness classes or walking groups, can also provide motivation. Ultimately, the key is to find enjoyable activities that can be sustained, with intensity increasing over time for continued health benefits.
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