150 minutes/week exercise "recommended"

[mystang52]

Near the end of the article is a disclaimer to some extent. But general thrust is that 150 minutes of exercise per week may prevent premature death.
FWIW:

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[HadEnuff]

20 minutes/ day? That seems pretty minimal.

A couple of yoga classe/week would do it.

 

[Amethyst]

I read the article and got the impression that 150 minutes is the optimum for improving longevity.

Fitness definitely takes more than 150 minutes a week...for me anyway!

Amethyst

 

[RunningBum]

I read the article and got the impression that 150 minutes is the optimum for improving longevity.

Fitness definitely takes more than 150 minutes a week...for me anyway!

Amethyst

That's not how I read it. One of the two studies quoted says:

0 exercise = highest risk of early death

A little exercise = 20% lower risk

150 minutes/week = 31% lower risk

3x that, or 450 minutes/week = 39% lower risk

More than that hits a plateau. I think 150 minutes is just where you get a lot of bang for the buck, a sweet spot of a good benefit in a manageable amount of time and effort. Most people should be able to carve 150 minutes out of their week for exercise. 450 minutes is a lot more of a commitment and if that was made the target, it'd probably discourage too many people, and it doesn't add too much more benefit.

I couldn't find numbers for the other study but they say it's similar. It also lists strenuous exercise for some of that time to increase the benefits.

 

[RunningBum]

I agree with Amethyst that 150 min/week is not enough for fitness for me either. Right now, in a good week I'm running about 450 minutes. The last time I dropped to just below 150 was Christmas week, with travel and some bad weather. Many weeks are less than 450 because of winter weather, but when I get in full training mode for fall races it'll be more.

 

[razztazz]

I agree with Amethyst that 150 min/week is not enough for fitness for me either. Right now, in a good week I'm running about 450 minutes. The last time I dropped to just below 150 was Christmas week, with travel and some bad weather. Many weeks are less than 450 because of winter weather, but when I get in full training mode for fall races it'll be more.

You're not talking about fitness. You're talking about exercise.

 

[athena53]

I do over an hour of cardio every day; I might miss a day once every couple of months. I'm not surprised at the 150, though; my last employer's wellness plan gave you maximum points for 30 minutes of working out at 85% of max heart rate. No extra credit for going longer. I'm sure that was based on a similar study.

 

[Katsmeow]

I read the article and got the impression that 150 minutes is the optimum for improving longevity.

Fitness definitely takes more than 150 minutes a week...for me anyway!

Amethyst

Not that the 150 minutes is for the cardio exercise. At least 2 sessions of strength training is recommended. If I recall correctly, you get the biggest bang for the buck at 150 minutes of cardio a week. (This is from a health perspective). Beyond that, however, you do get benefits.

 

[Amethyst]

It puzzles me that Federal BCBS will give diabetics a small monetary incentive on their "wellness cards" for claiming to exercise and eat right to control their diabetes, yet doesn't give non-diabetics any reward for doing the same good things. Reminds me of the smug old saying, "Virtue is its own reward."

I do over an hour of cardio every day; I might miss a day once every couple of months. I'm not surprised at the 150, though; my last employer's wellness plan gave you maximum points for 30 minutes of working out at 85% of max heart rate. No extra credit for going longer. I'm sure that was based on a similar study.

 

[audreyh1]

It puzzles me that Federal BCBS will give diabetics a small monetary incentive on their "wellness cards" for claiming to exercise and eat right to control their diabetes, yet doesn't give non-diabetics any reward for doing the same good things. Reminds me of the smug old saying, "Virtue is its own reward."

Makes perfect sense. The healthy non-diabetics don't cost them any different. The diabetics improving their health can probably save them quite a bit.

Yes, I realize they aren't taking prevention into account. But the savings aren't as easy for them to project.

 

[samclem]

From the NYT article:

Of course, these studies relied on people’s shaky recall of exercise habits and were not randomized experiments, so can’t prove that any exercise dose caused changes in mortality risk, only that exercise and death risks were associated.

 

[HFWR]

From the NYT article:

But we'll print the article anyway...

 

[Ronstar]

Anyone who is physically capable of activity should try to “reach at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week and have around 20 to 30 minutes of that be vigorous activity,” says Klaus Gebel, a senior research fellow at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia, who led the second study. And a larger dose, for those who are so inclined, does not seem to be unsafe, he said.

From what I've been reading and hearing from dr's, the vigorous activity is essential.

From a different article:

According to an article published in the "Strength and Conditioning Journal," it takes about 20 to 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise before your body begins to rely primarily on fat as fuel for your muscles.

So it seems that intensity is needed to burn fat instead of lean muscle. I was doing at least 450 minutes of exercise a week (hiking) but it wasn't vigorous. Tough to find a vigorous hike in my part of Illinois. I'm running now, but not sure if my pace is vigorous. I see a lot of different opinions as to what "vigorous" is.

 

[Amethyst]

I believe it's a matter of being, not out of breath, but unable to carry on a conversation easily while exercising. It's fairly challenging to meet that definition without running or playing vigorous sports. Some of us can't do those things.

I go as hard as I can on the stair-climber and elliptical machines, and hope for the best. Remember we also need to find time for strength training, balance, flexibility....one could spend one's whole life exercising, if one hoped to meet or exceed all the guidelines that are out there!

I see a lot of different opinions as to what "vigorous" is.

 

[Ronstar]

I believe it's a matter of being, not out of breath, but unable to carry on a conversation easily while exercising. It's fairly challenging to meet that definition without running or playing vigorous sports. Some of us can't do those things.

I have read the same "unable to carry on a conversation..." definition. But I exercise alone, so that probably won't work for me.

I go as hard as I can on the stair-climber and elliptical machines, and hope for the best. Remember we also need to find time for strength training, balance, flexibility....one could spend one's whole life exercising, if one hoped to meet or exceed all the guidelines that are out there!

I'm the same - just exercise as hard as I can and hope for the best. I need to increase strength training though.

 

[H2ODude]

I guess longevity is a plus but I'm far more interested in maintaining fitness and health for whatever years I have yet. However, I have to admit that what really makes me get out there and push it is that .... it makes me feel better. If I don't then I just feel like the pits, lose interest in other things, and miss the feeling of fatigue from a good workout that says "yep, still can!!" There are many days when I head out that I fell like the dog being dragged to the vet but I have NEVER not felt a whole lot better when I'm done.

Oh yeah. I also like to eat, and if I don't do a lot of physical activity it shows.

 

[Amethyst]

I hear you. I might as well be exercising alone at the gym, since everybody else wears headphones or earbuds and there is littler or no conversation, except among three particular ladies who never shut up (obviously not working hard enough!) Instead, I just imagine that I'm trying to talk to someone, and imagine myself breathing too hard to enjoy it

I have read the same "unable to carry on a conversation..." definition. But I exercise alone, so that probably won't work for me.

I.

 

[Bir48die]

I guess longevity is a plus but I'm far more interested in maintaining fitness and health for whatever years I have yet. However, I have to admit that what really makes me get out there and push it is that .... it makes me feel better. If I don't then I just feel like the pits, lose interest in other things, and miss the feeling of fatigue from a good workout that says "yep, still can!!" There are many days when I head out that I fell like the dog being dragged to the vet but I have NEVER not felt a whole lot better when I'm done.

Oh yeah. I also like to eat, and if I don't do a lot of physical activity it shows.

+1

 

[Alan]

I have read the same "unable to carry on a conversation..." definition. But I exercise alone, so that probably won't work for me.

Try talking to the trees when out for your runs. When the trees start talking back, you know that you are overdoing it.

 

[MichaelB]

Try talking to the trees when out for your runs. When the trees start talking back, you know that you are overdoing it.

 

[gerntz]

Makes perfect sense. The healthy non-diabetics don't cost them any different. The diabetics improving their health can probably save them quite a bit.

Yes, I realize they aren't taking prevention into account. But the savings aren't as easy for them to project.

If we're talking strictly cost & not being PC, the cheapest thing is probably for the people to die early vs. managing the problem over a long period. Look at SS & Medicare, the cheapest thing is for a person to die at 64 & 364 days.

 

[Ronstar]

Try talking to the trees when out for your runs. When the trees start talking back, you know that you are overdoing it.

I'll give it a try. I vaguely remember trees talking back several decades ago.


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[Danmar]

All of these studies are pretty consistent. Exercise is worthwhile. I read a study that quantified exercise effort in terms of METS( standard metabolisms). It stated that the benefits of vigorous exercise to prevent certain types of cancers seems to top out at 12 mets for some period which I forgot. That's very vigorous. Bottom line is do as much vigorous exercise as you can.

In fact the evidence is so overwhelming it is really irresponsible not to do it in some form.

 

[ls99]

I abhor excersise as such. About 8 months a year I figure skate roughly 5 hrs per week, summers roughly 4 to 6 hrs per week kayaking, along with miscellaneous lumberjacking, plus hiking around the lands of my mancave.

I'll live forever! Yeah right.

 

[Ronstar]

150 minutes/week exercise "recommended"

I abhor excersise as such. About 8 months a year I figure skate roughly 5 hrs per week, summers roughly 4 to 6 hrs per week kayaking, along with miscellaneous lumberjacking, plus hiking around the lands of my mancave.

I'll live forever! Yeah right.

None of those are exercise. All of those are playing.


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