Exercise is healthy we all know, but how much exercise do you really need? RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) sets exercise guidelines and then measures how many Dutch people comply with these exercise guidelines. The most recent data on exercise and sitting can be found at www.volksgezondheidenzorg.info
Exercise guidelines are about the amount of physical activity needed for good health.
According to the exercise guidelines, you have:
- require 2.5 hours (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity exercise every week,
- spread over several days.
- For children, and adolescents up to 18 years, this is at least 60 minutes daily.
In addition to those 2.5 hours a week of moderate-intensity exercise, the guidelines also recommend adults engage in muscle and bone-strengthening exercises twice a week. For young people under 18 years of age, 3 times a week of muscle and bone strengthening exercises. This can be strength training, but stair climbing, running and (trampoline) jumping also contribute to this.
Many people immediately think of exercise as intensive exercise at the gym or endurance sports like running or cycling. However, 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise per week is much easier to fit in than you often think.
Examples of moderate-intensity exercise:
- hiking
- recreational cycling
- household chores
- gardening
- quiet swimming
- climb the stairs
- shopping
What does moderate-intensity exercise do?
Among other things, moderate exercise has a positive effect on your heart and lungs. It also burns calories. When you do a light activity for more than 15 minutes at a time, your body starts burning body fat.
So when you walk, cycle or do housework (who doesn't) and you spend more than 10 minutes, your body taps into your fat reserves. How great is that? Your house gets clean, the shopping gets done, you walk up the stairs several times a day, walk the dog, and in doing so, you live healthier and get (a little) slimmer too! No need to go to the gym or buy running shoes for this.
If you exercise moderately intensively on a regular basis, the unhealthy fat in your belly, around the liver and intestines, for instance, will decrease. An additional advantage of moderate-intensity exercise is that it causes little or no wear and tear on joints, thus preventing conditions such as osteoarthritis.
Why do we recommend taking the exercise guidelines seriously?
Moderate-intensity exercise reduces the dangers of obesity and hence chronic diseases. By walking or cycling regularly, you burn calories and would therefore lose weight. Moderate-intensity exercise also lowers the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and improves the cholesterol profile.
Moderate-intensity exercise also helps against stress.
What if you don't?
Our bodies are made for movement. When you don't move much over a long period of time, there are physical consequences. Your overall physical condition is then no longer good; you feel less fit, you visibly have some excess body fat and you may suffer from the dangers of being overweight.
Could you use help in adhering to a healthy lifestyle?
Get in touch with us!
Sources:
www.volksgezondheidenzorg.info
www.nlbewustgezond.nl/
