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MONDAY Nov 12, 2018 – Take the stairs that leads to your office. Park a little further away from the grocery store. Walk your dog around the block. Carry the basket.
Any physical activity, even two minutes worth, can have huge benefits for your immediate and long-term health, according to the new edition of US Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
Previously, the guidelines stipulated that unless physical activity lasted 10 minutes or more, this did not count toward the weekly activity goals recommended by a person.
However, research has shown that a small amount of activity makes a substantial contribution to a person's health, according to the second edition of the guidelines unveiled on Monday at the annual meeting of the Institute. American Heart Association in Chicago.
"The new guidelines demonstrate that, based on the best science, anyone can radically improve their health simply by moving – no matter when, where, and by any means to stay active, "said Admiral Brett Giroir, deputy secretary of health at the US Department. Health and Social Services (HHS), said in a press release.
According to HHS, only 26% of men, 19% of women and 20% of teens currently have the amount of physical activity recommended per week.
The first edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines was published ten years ago, in 2008.
The new edition also highlights a wider range of benefits of physical activity in the short and long term, all based on scientific evidence:
- A simple physical activity can sharpen your mind, reduce your anxiety, your blood pressure, improve your sleep and strengthen your body's ability to convert blood sugar into energy.
- Regular physical activity can improve your brain health, reduce your risk of developing eight different forms of cancer and your risk of excessive weight gain.
- Chronic health problems enhanced by physical activity include osteoarthritis, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, anxiety, and depression.
Exercise also helps to improve brain function in people with dementia, multiple sclerosis, attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder and Parkinson's disease.
"It's the least expensive prescription in the world, but most people do not want to fill it," said Dr. Eileen Handberg, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University College of Medicine. of Florida.
The amount of activity recommended per week remains the same for adults – at least 150 to 300 minutes of aerobic activity of moderate intensity or 75 to 150 minutes of activity-intensive vigorous, associated with muscle building activity of at least two days.
Examples of moderate activity include brisk walking, ballroom dancing, water aerobics or grass wrecking, according to the AHA. A vigorous activity may involve running, swimming, fast cycling, aerobic dancing or working a shovel or hoe in the garden.
The guidelines now recommend that children under 5 be active all day long to improve their growth and development – at least three hours a day. It is recommended that children 6 to 17 years of age do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity.
Pregnant women and postpartum women should do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week, while older adults should add a balance workout in addition to their Aerobics and muscle building activities, as directed.
"You have to go out and be active, whether you're a child or an adult, a pregnant woman, a chronic illness, no group not concerned by these guidelines," Handberg said. , member of the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Committee of the American College of Cardiology.
AHA President, Dr. Ivor Benjamin, said the association would adopt the guidelines as official recommendations for physical activity.
"We urge other health groups and stakeholders across the country to adopt the guidelines and join us to commit to helping more people move," Benjamin said in a statement.
The guidelines should form the foundation of policies supporting physical education at school, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure in cities and the promotion of exercise at the workplace, said Benjamin and Handberg.
Physical activity is so important that it should be a "fifth" vital sign for doctors, Handberg said.
"This should be a standard of health care," said Handberg. "If you go to a health care provider, if I do not give you your BMI and I do not evaluate your physical activity, it's really not in the foreground of your mind, nor mine as your provider. "
Doctors hope that exercise will seem less daunting for people if everyone says they are convinced that any physical activity is helpful.
"Patients need to be reassured that they do not need a lot of time or complex exercise programs to be healthier," said lead author Dr. Paul Thompson. , in an editorial accompanying the publication of recommendations online Nov. 12 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. .
"Any activity is better than nothing," continued Thompson, a cardiologist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut. "It's also possible to do all the activities one or two days a week, because it produces health benefits similar to those achieved through activities done at least three days a week."
More information
To learn more about the intensity levels of different exercises, visit the American Heart Association.
Copyright © 2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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