From the Guidelines
Regular exercise is crucial for improving physical health, and adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity weekly, plus muscle-strengthening activities twice weekly, as supported by the most recent guidelines 1.
Key Points to Consider
- The benefits of exercise on physical health are numerous, including reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, improving metabolic health, and enhancing cognitive function, as demonstrated by various studies 2, 3, 4, 1.
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can provide comparable benefits to longer moderate exercise in less time, making it an efficient option for busy individuals.
- Exercise improves cardiovascular health by strengthening the heart muscle, reducing blood pressure, and improving cholesterol profiles, which can help prevent cardiovascular disease 2, 1.
- Weight-bearing exercises strengthen bones, preventing osteoporosis, while resistance training preserves muscle mass, particularly important as we age, and can also reduce the risk of certain cancers 4.
- Starting slowly and gradually increasing intensity helps prevent injury and promotes adherence to an exercise routine, which is essential for achieving the most significant improvements in physical health.
Recommendations for Exercise
- Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity weekly.
- Include muscle-strengthening activities twice weekly.
- Consider incorporating HIIT for efficient and effective workouts.
- Gradually increase exercise intensity to prevent injury and promote adherence.
Evidence-Based Support
- The 2017 Dutch physical activity guidelines provide convincing evidence that physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease 1.
- The European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice also support the importance of regular physical activity in reducing cardiovascular mortality 2.
- Studies have consistently shown that physical activity has numerous health benefits, including reducing the risk of depression, improving cognitive function, and enhancing overall physical health 3, 4.
From the Research
Benefits of Exercise on Physical Health
- Regular physical activity and exercise training are important actions to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and maintain health throughout life 5
- Exercise is an effective preventative strategy against at least 25 medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, colon and breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes 5
- Physical activity results in increased exercise capacity and physical fitness, which may lead to many health benefits, including lower rates of all-cause mortality and a decrease in chronic diseases 6
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
- HIIT involves repeatedly exercising at a high intensity for 30 seconds to several minutes, separated by 1-5 minutes of recovery, and is associated with increased patient compliance and improved cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes 7
- HIIT is a complex concept for those unfamiliar with exercise, and some patients may require specific assessment or instruction before commencing a HIIT program 7
- HIIT is an efficient way to develop cardiovascular fitness, and comparisons between this type of training and traditional endurance training are equivocal 8
- HIIT elicits large improvements in the VO2max of healthy, young to middle-aged adults, with the gains in VO2max being greater following HIIT when compared with endurance training 8
Effects of Exercise Modality on Aerobic Fitness and Strength
- Both traditional aerobic mode (AM) and strength mode (SM) during HIIT show significant improvements in both strength and aerobic fitness 9
- There is a significant between-group difference for aerobic fitness improvements favoring the AM group 9
- The magnitude of change using within-group effect size for aerobic fitness and strength is considered large for each group 9