Improve Your Health One Minute at a Time

Finding time to go to the gym for 30 minutes a day can be tough, more now than ever. Many Americans are expected to work a minimum of 40 to 50 hours a week –not to mention having to answer calls, emails and texts at all hours of the day. On top of that,dance lessons, soccer practice and then dinner has to be squeezed in there somewhere.

It’s no wonder adults are getting more sedentary, and New Year’s resolutions mostly consist of “losing weight” and “getting healthier.”

Well, a new study shows that getting healthier might not be as far-fetched as we once thought.
The federal government’s2008 report, 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, states that adults should do exercises of moderate intensity for a total 150 minutes a week, in a minimum of 10 minute increments.

Still finding it hard to get away for 10 minutes at a time? What about just one minute?
According to a study called National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers at the University of Utah have found that getting your heart rate up for even one minute at a time can have positive health benefits on par with getting your heart rate up for 10 minutes at a time.

An article with the University of Utah’s U News Center interviewed Jessie X. Fan, professor of family and consumer studies:

“What we learned is that for preventing weight gain, the intensity of the activity matters more than duration. This new understanding is important because fewer than 5 percent of American adults today achieve the recommended level of physical activity in a week according to the current physical activity guidelines. Knowing that even short bouts of ‘brisk’ activity can add up to a positive effect is an encouraging message for promoting better health.”

So, what can the average American do? Try parking further from your building, or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Take a short walk on your break at work, or try jumping rope for a few minutes in the morning or evening. It turns out that every little bit really can help.

Sources:
http://unews.utah.edu/news_releases/move-it-and-lose-it-every-brisk-minute-counts/
http://www.ajhpcontents.com/doi/abs/10.4278/ajhp.120606-QUAL-286
http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/pdf/paguide.pdf

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.