Benefits of Exercising: How You Get Them
Just How Intense Should Exercise Be?
Is it necessary to acquire the high levels of fitness that competitive athletes attain in order to produce the extensive benefits of exercising – health and longevity?
The good news for a lot of us is that it isn’t. When you look at the graph, you can see that the biggest decrease in the risk of death from all causes happens when fitness levels improve from the lowest level to the next higher level. The improvement from medium fitness to high fitness results in a much smaller decrease in mortality.
In other words, the movement from couch potatoe to moderate exercise contain the biggest health benefits.
What Does That Look Like?
Dr. Steven Blair, from the Aerobics Institute, conducted a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that concluded that to walk two miles per day in 30-40 minutes would bring the sedentary person up from the lowest level of fitness to the next highest level.
When exercise is at this level of intensity it is non-painful and non-threatening, making it more comfortable and therefore more likely to happen consistently.
A Sustained Health Cure
Exercise needs to be sustained, not sporadic, to produce the benefits of exercise described here. Some, who are just starting out on the adventure of exercise, may not be able to exercise for more than a few minutes at a time. This is ok. Over a few weeks they can gradually build up their exercise duration until most will be able to exercise for at least an hour at a time.
Listen To Your Body
Scientist have come up with target heart rate zones that can tell people whether they are at the level of exercise that is beneficial for health. These charts are based on age and are helpful but the most important thing a person can do is listen to their body.
To force yourself into the pain zone because you “should” be able to do it is dangerous. If one feels they are working hard, they are. If they can’t carry on a conversation without gasping for breath, they may be working too hard. The biggest downside of going at it too hard is that no one voluntarily continues a program of misery. If they want to make exercise a practical and consistent part of their life, then it needs to be enjoyable-well, at least not miserable!
Just Do It
Beyond intensity, the most important thing about reaping the benefits of exercising is that it needs to happen every day. Because, when the routine of regular exercise stops, so do the benefits.
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