You Don't Need To Exercise A Lot To Benefit A Lot
New guidelines recommend an hour of physical exercise each day to achieve optimal health benefits. One expert says, however, that even short periods of activity and everyday movement can have a positive effect on your health
Most everyone agrees that America needs to shape up. Exercise and physical activity are essential to a healthy lifestyle and lower the risk of many diseases. Earlier this year, the government issued new guidelines for exercise, recommending one hour a day, every day. Dr. Howard Eisenson, director of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, says the goal of motivating Americans to exercise is commendable, but shorter stretches of physical activity also pay big rewards. "If folks are relatively sedentary, as so many of us are, that's what they should aim for first. If they master that and can go further, up to an hour a day most days or every day, sure, they may realize additional benefits. But there's a lot of benefit to be realized by just doing more than they're doing now." Eisenson says we don't need to work out in the gym with the latest equipment in order to benefit from exercising. "Regular lifestyle activities are fine - walking, chores around the house. Becoming more physically active is beneficial at whatever level. More might be better, but some is certainly a lot better than none." I'm Cabell Smith for MedMinute.