• Question: How much exersise should we do daily?

    Asked by 842aged37 to Siana on 12 Nov 2015.
    • Photo: Siana Jones

      Siana Jones answered on 12 Nov 2015:

      Thanks for this question. It’s hard to answer as a scientist because there is so much conflicting evidence about what is a necessary amount of exercise to do daily/weekly.
      The government recommends 60minutes/day of activity for young people and, across a week, this should be made up of different types/intensities of exercise. This NHS Live Well website describes it very clearly:

      http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-young-people.aspx

      The guidelines are slightly different for adults and older adults.

Comments

  • Photo: Peter

    Peter commented on :

    Humans were designed to move. Modern day living has led to us moving a lot less as we spend lots of time at a desk, in a car, on an ipad etc. I try to be active in some form everyday e.g. parking my car 20 minutes walk from work and I also try to exercise a minimum of 5 – 6 days per week (usually mixture of running and weight training). Resistance training has been shown to maintain your muscle mass and strength. This is important because muscle allows us to function in every day living but also because muscle is what uses the fuel we eat. If we have less muscle we can absorb less fuel and risk becoming overweight and possibly diabetic. Resistance training does not mean looking like Arnold Schwarzneger. For example a push up or squatting up and down from a chair counts as resistance exercise. Load can be added in the form of rubber bands, round heavy balls or dumbells. Cardiovascular exercise is very useful for maintaining our brain and cardiovascular health. Studies show that those who engage in aerobic exercise have greater white matter brain volume and a lower risk of heart disease. In essence you need to do a mixture of exercise on a regular basis (5/6 days) to maintain health in western society. I make exercise a priority and a habit just like brushing my teeth in the morning. I plan my weekly exercise before I plan my weekly work as when I am feeling physically and mentally healthy I perform better in all other aspects of life. Enjoy exercising 🙂