Exercise has many benefits. According to MayoClinic.com, it can help control weight, improve mood, reduce the risk of developing certain chronic diseases, and improve sleep. If you're leading a sedentary life, any amount of exercise will benefit you, even if it's just five to 10 minutes a day. If you have a specific goal in mind, however, you might need to work longer than just a few minutes.
Minimum Recommendations
The standard recommendation for exercise is at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week, according to a number of health experts, including Medline Plus. Other experts, such as the World Health Organization, recommend the same but in less specific terms, such as exercising for a total of 150 minutes per week, no matter how those minutes are divided.
Exercising for Health
Although the official recommendation is at least half an hour of activity every day, any amount of exercise is better than none at all. A 2011 study by the Taiwan's National Health Research Institutes in Taiwan showed that as little as 15 minutes of daily physical activity can increase your life expectancy by as much as three years. The study, which followed more than 400,000 participants for over a decade, also discovered that people who remained active were less likely to develop disease and were more likely to have a higher quality of life.
Weight Loss Goals
To lose weight, you might need to exercise more than 60 minutes on most days of the week, according to a 2008 study conducted at the Physical Activity and Weight Management Research Center. The center, which belongs to the University of Pittsburgh, followed 200 overweight people who exercised and controlled their calorie intake for 24 months. By the end of the study, only a small percentage of the people in the study had managed to lose – and maintain -- ten percent of their starting weight. All of those people were exercising about 60 minutes per day. The faster and more efficiently you want to lose weight, the longer and harder you will need to exercise. As long as you’re healthy, workouts that last between 60 and 90 minutes should be your primary goal to lose weight.
Other Considerations
When deciding how much to exercise every week, you need to take a number of factors into consideration. Physical condition and current health are key factors. If you have a heart condition, suffer from diabetes, or are recuperating from an illness or accident, your doctor can help you figure out how long and how intense your exercise routine should be. Pregnant women and seniors might also need to adjust the length of their workouts depending on how they’re feeling. Some medications, such as anti-allergy and anti-anxiety drugs, can make you feel sleepy or tired. If you’re taking a prescription drug, you might need to shorten your workout until you’re feeling stronger.
References
- The Global Times; 15 Minutes Daily Exercise Can Increase Life Expectancy; August 2011
- Time.com; The Myth of Moderate Exercise; Laura Blue; July 2008
- MedLine Plus: Exercise and Physical Fitness
- Reuters: 15 Minutes of Exercise a Day Can Extend Life by Three Years; Tan Ee Lyn; August 2011
- MayoClinic.com: Exercise: 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity
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