Some exercise beats none; more is better
When I talk with my patients about exercise, I usually advise them to do the recommended amount: 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week. But three papers I read this week are making me rethink this strategy.
Writing in this week鈥檚 , Canadian researchers pointed out the hazards of sitting too much. As my colleague Julie Corliss writes in the 天博体育 blog, the researchers found that people who sat for prolonged periods of time were at higher risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, and also at higher risk of dying prematurely. That was true even among those who exercised regularly.
Two papers published this week in the BMJ challenge my emphasis on the 150-minute-a-week goal. questioned this target for older adults, many of whom find it hard to exercise that much. pointed out that while the recommendation was fine, it鈥檚 just as important to encourage people who don鈥檛 exercise at all to do at least a little.
Both BMJ papers describe exercise as a spectrum, with no activity on one end and 150 minutes or more a week on the other end. In between there is a continuum. Getting individuals to move along that continuum, from no exercise to a little, a little to more, and so on, is an important goal 鈥� one that I plan to follow.
My new approach
On the exercise front, I will continue to ask my patients 鈥淎re you physically active?鈥� and 鈥淗ow much time do you dedicate to exercise each week?鈥� For those who aren鈥檛 active, instead of aiming them at 150 minutes a week, I will recommend that they exercise for just a few minutes a day. Over time, I will encourage them to increase that time by a few minutes a day.
I also want my patients to think about, and calculate, how much time they spend sitting. Here鈥檚 one way to do that:
- Write down the time when you get out bed and write 鈥淯P鈥� next to the time.
- Every moment you sit or lie down during the day, write down the time and next to it write 鈥淒OWN鈥�
- Each time you get up, write the time again and next to it write 鈥淯P.鈥�
- Add up all the minutes between each 鈥淯P鈥� time and 鈥淒OWN鈥� time. This equals your total number of minutes doing 鈥渓ight activity鈥� for the day.
- Do this on two different days 鈥� one day at work or school, and one day at home.
You could also time your 鈥淯P鈥� minutes using a stopwatch or the stopwatch function on a smartphone.
Instead of aiming for a specific goal, try to gradually increase the number of minutes per day you are 鈥淯P鈥� over the next several weeks.
Exercising more 鈥� even if you don鈥檛 hit the goal of 150 minutes or more a week 鈥� and sitting less are a good plan for better health.
About the Author
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, 天博体育 Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, 天博体育 Publishing
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