New Exercise Guidelines Are Even Easier to Find
Most of us don’t follow government (or anyone else’s) exercise guidelines , which is a shame because exercise is good for us for a million reasons other than weight loss. The new guidelines released today are even easier to follow and include recommendations for people ages 3 and older.
The amount of recommended exercise has not changed, but the 10-minute minimum is no longer there. So a few minutes of climbing stairs at work, running to catch the bus, and a seven-minute workout with the app all make a difference.
Here’s a rundown by age group:
- Adults should devote 150 minutes a week to moderate exercise (such as a brisk walk). Vigorous exercise doubles the amount, so you only need 75 minutes.
- Pregnant adults with chronic illness or other health problems should still try to follow the rules to the best of their ability.
- Children between the ages of 6 and 17 should exercise for an hour every day.
- Young children between the ages of 3 and 5 need to move around (whether it looks like “exercise” or not) for three hours a day.
Not sure if your kids are getting enough exercise? Check out the parenting newsletter for more details and suggested activities. Older children should do “muscle-strengthening exercises,” such as climbing the monkey bar or doing exercises such as push-ups, three days a week. They should exercise three days a week. And they should do bone-strengthening exercises that include running, jumping, or walking three days a week. It might sound like a lot, but running and climbing on the playground tests every condition.
Why exercise matters
We tend to think that exercise is done either for its own sake – so you can gain muscle, win a race, play basketball without dying – or as part of a weight loss plan. However, exercise isn’t even that good for losing weight. It’s a shame because people who don’t have weight to lose (or who gave it up because it didn’t work) can still reap huge benefits from exercise.
The new guidelines point to a host of reasons why we should really do the recommended exercises. Of them:
- Children tend to sleep better, get higher grades, and have a better mood if they exercise regularly.
- In the short term, you can see a decrease in anxiety, a decrease in blood pressure, and an improvement in insulin sensitivity.
- You will sleep better.
- Exercise can help reduce osteoarthritis pain ( really !) And can help you stay witty for dementia, Parkinson’s, and other conditions.
- Exercise slows the progression of hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
- And it can relieve anxiety and depression.
Exercise is not a substitute for other treatments for the above conditions (as always, talk to your doctor), but it can help. And since some of the benefits are short-term, you don’t have to wait decades to see the effect.