When it comes to exercise, younger people tend to opt for more vigorous activities, while older adults prefer moderate levels. But how much exercise is actually necessary for optimal health? According to Peter Katzmarzyk, Ph. D., the answer is less than an hour per day. This conclusion was drawn from a study of 116,221 adults who reported their leisure-time physical activity through a validated questionnaire.
If you're looking to lose weight, keep it off, or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more than the recommended amount. Intense aerobic activities such as running, swimming, cycling, heavy gardening work, and aerobic dancing are all recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO guidelines also specify the intensity of exercise necessary for optimal health, as well as the types of exercise that should be included in your routine - a combination of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises. However, some studies have suggested that exercising too much can be harmful to your cardiovascular system.
This has left many runners wondering how much exercise is actually healthy. More research is needed to better understand the effects of intense physical activity on cardiovascular outcomes and to identify the optimal amount and intensity of long-term exercise for health benefits. In a study published in the journal Circulation of the American Heart Association, experts determined that lower mortality was associated with doing two to four times more exercise than recommended by the HHS. If these goals seem too ambitious, don't worry - any amount of exercise is better than none! There's still some confusion about exactly how much exercise per week has the most health benefits.
