Many Americans have thrown in the towel with exasperation after hearing the new dietary guidelines recommending 30 to 90 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a day.
However, time-use researchers and exercise experts aren‘t accepting any excuses, declaring almost everyone can find the time and motivation during the day to squeeze in a little physical activity. The only people who can get away with the argument of not having enough time during the day to exercise are: The most time-crunched people aged 30 to 45, parents of young children and people who work over 40 hours a week.
Part of the problem for the rest of the population is that out of the nearly 40 hours of estimated free time a week in the United States, 15 to 20 of those hours are spent watching television. A professor of exercise science, who was also part of the committee responsible for developing the new exercise guidelines, also explained that some people might feel intimidated by the recommendations, though not everyone is required to exercise at the highest level possible.
People simply need to determine which activity level personally applies to them and, hopefully, exercising won‘t seem so overwhelming.
The 30-Minute Minimum
Whether the activity is divided up into 10- and 15-minue segments, most people benefit from at least 30 minutes of exercise, minimum, a day to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and other diseases. Some suggested ways to reach this amount include:
As the list above shows, the guidelines don‘t require meeting the time recommendations through structured exercise alone. Half the time can be spent on a structured activity, while the other half can be accumulating from using the stairs or walking around whenever possible (at work, the mall, home, etc.). But for people exercising 30 minutes and still experiencing weight gain, increasing the time to 60 minutes is required. Additionally, those who have lost a significant amount of weight and are striving to keep it off might need as much as 90 minutes of exercise a day.
Making Exercise a Priority
Most people can reach the recommended exercise goals by simply making it part of their daily routine. The key is to make exercise a habit and figure out what time of the day works best, such as:
USA Today January 19, 2005
You may have noticed that for some time now I have stated: If a person has weight to lose, then 90 minutes of exercise every day is required. I have received quite a bit of resistance from individuals claiming this recommendation was excessive, but the truth is I simply have not seen consistent, positive results for losing weight with exercise levels below this.
Remember, this level of exercise is only required for overweight individuals who have accumulated an exercise debt that must be repaid to regain health. Not everyone needs this amount of exercise. In my experience, those that are overweight, have high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol or are diabetic do benefit from this high level of exercise until they are able to normalize their health challenge(s).
Use Exercise Effectively
The key to exercising is to make sure you are using it effectively. By doing so, you will ensure all your hard efforts (and time) are not wasted and are having a positive effect on your body. To aid you in your efforts, there are three important variables to exercise to keep in mind:
If you don't think you have enough time to commit to a daily exercise program -- as spelled out in the new dietary guidelines -- plenty of experts besides me don't buy that excuse.
It has been my experience that it is virtually impossible to repay your exercise debt if you are overweight and walk for only 30 minutes a few times a week; therefore, it will be important for you to move toward 90 minutes of cardiovascular exercise every day to lose weight and maintain that weight loss. Once you are at a normal weight, your exercise can be reduced to 45 minutes four times a week.
Finally, most people are don't have the slightest clue about exercise intensity and just don't understand that average walking, though beneficial for general health isn't a sufficiently intense exercise for weight loss or heart benefits. The problem with walking is that it is great for out of shape individuals for a week or two, but most become fit relatively quickly and require a constant increase in exercise intensity to maintain their training effect.
Walking just simply can't do that unless you are walking on an inclined treadmill. The simple way you can find out if you are exercising hard enough is to increase the intensity of your workout until you are having a difficult time talking to someone. Once you are there, decrease ever so slightly and you will be at your ideal intensity range. It is important to understand with time this will continue to increase but some days you might actually have to go backwards as stress or illness will decrease your fitness level temporarily.
If you can easily carry on a conversation with someone next you, then in all likelihood you are going too slow to generate the aerobic benefits that exercise is capable of doing; if you cannot carry on a conversation at all, then you have gone too far and need to decrease the intensity.
If you are seeking a sensible and highly effective guide to exercise, I highly recommend "How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy." By world renowned and respected exercise and wellness expert Paul Chek, this book presents a straightforward and beautifully illustrated "4-Step Guide to Looking and Feeling Great from the Inside Out," including stretches and exercises for every zone of your body in Chapter 3. The other just as remarkable and useful sections of the book focus on diet/nutrition (it is a perfect compliment to the Total Health Program), overcoming stress, and the "how to" on other key areas of your health.
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