Exactly how much exercise you need per day to slash risk of 19 diseases AND lose weight – from diabetes to cancer
WE all know exercise is crucial for staying healthy and active, as it slashes your risk of heart disease, diabetes and even cancer while keeping you at an ideal weight.
Now, scientists have revealed just how many minutes you need to exercise each day to avoid up to 19 diseases.
The study carried out by scientists at the University of Iowa found that people who worked out for at least 150 minutes a week had a lower risk of developing chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and diabetes.
Spread over a week, this would amount to 21 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each day.
This is in line with NHS exercise guidelines, which recommend that adults between the ages of 19 to 64 do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week.
This can range from brisk walking to dancing and riding a bike.
The findings – published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease – suggest that people who do little to no exercise each week are at increased risk of developing a chronic disease.
Lead author Lucas Carr, an associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Physiology, said the results highlight that patients who don’t exercise enough should be connected with “supportive services like exercise prescriptions and/or community health specialists” by clinicians to help them get moving.
The study included more than 7,000 patients attending the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center for annual wellness exam appointments, who completed a questionnaire on their level of physical activity between 2017 and 2022.
The Exercise Vital Sign survey, as the questionnaire is called, asked patients two questions:
- On average, how many days per week do you engage in moderate to vigorous exercise (like a brisk walk)? (0-7 days)
- On average, how many minutes do you engage in exercise at this level?
Researchers also compared participants’ results with the medical records of more than 33,000 patients who weren’t offered the survey in other areas of the hospital.
They found patients who took the survey were younger and in better health than the patient population who weren’t given the questionnaire.
While the link between physical activity and reduced risk of chronic disease has been known, the researchers say the study underscores the value of surveying patients about their physical activity levels.
“We believe this finding is a result of those patients who take the time to come in for annual wellness exams also are taking more time to engage in healthy behaviors, such as being physically active,” Prof Carr said.
The study was carried out in the US, where most hospitals don’t ask patients about how much exercise they do.
Prof Carr is now proposing that the questionnaire is made available to all patients.
He said: “This two-question survey typically takes fewer than 30 seconds for a patient to complete, so it doesn’t interfere with their visit.
“But it can tell us a whole lot about that patient’s overall health.”
Experts have previously told Sun Health the bare minimum amount of exercise you need each week to lose weight.
How much exercise should you do and when?
There are guidelines issued by the NHS and the Government regarding how much exercise people should do each day.
People should be active daily, and avoid sitting for long periods.
The NHS recommends an adults – those aged 19 to 64 – should aim for 150 minutes of “moderate intensity activity” a week.
This works out to 21 minutes a day, or 30 minutes five days a week.
Or, they could do 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week, which could be less than 11 minutes per day or 25 minutes three days a week.
Adults should also aim to do strength exercises twice a week, at least.
Examples of moderate-intensity activities include brisk walking, water aerobics, riding a bike, dancing, doubles tennis, pushing a lawn mower, hiking or rollerblading.
Examples of vigorous activities include running, swimming, riding a bike fast or on hills, walking up the stairs, sports, like football, rugby, netball and hockey, skipping, aerobics, gymnastics or martial arts.
Things like lifting heavy weights, sprinting up hills, spin classes or circuit training are considered very vigorous.
What time should you exercise?
Getting exercise into your day, no matter what time is a good idea.
But you may want to be more selective depending on your goal.
A 2023 US study on 5,285 middle-aged adults showed exercising between 7 and 9 am was the best time if you’re looking to lose weight.
Researchers found that early-bird gym goers had a lower body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference than those working out later.
A 2022 study led by Prof Paul J Arciero, Skidmore College, New York, found that the optimal time of day to get your kit on might differ according to your gender.
Prof Arciero said women wanting to lose fat around their belly and hips would do better to hit the gym in the morning, but those seeking to gain upper body strength or simply improve their mood might see more results from evening exercise.
The results were the opposite for men.
If you struggle to get to sleep, it’s been found that exercise in the morning may help, but exercise in the evening may help you to stay asleep.
Exercise, generally, can improve sleep quality.