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How much exercise is enough?
There has been a slew of contradictory information on how much exercise is enough to reap the healthy benefits of exercise - and to facilitate and maintain weight loss.
While most health experts agree that 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week reduces the risk for cardiovascular disease and other illnesses, when it comes to keeping off unwanted pounds, recommendations are often confusing and contradictory. A recent study from the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, for example, indicated that in addition to limiting calories, overweight and obese women may need to exercise as much as 55 minutes a day for five days per week to sustain a weight loss. This is at the high end of the Health Canada physical activity guide, which calls for 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity per day most days of the week. (Read more.)
Still, most experts agree that even a little exercise is better than none at all.
Easy ways to incorporate more walking into your life
-- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
-- As much as possible, do your errands on foot. If you are driving, select the parking space furthest from the store.
-- On your daily commute, get off the bus or streetcar a stop earlier and walk the extra distance.
-- If taking the escalator, walk rather than remaining stationary.
-- Take a walk during your lunch break. Not only will the physical activity burn calories, it will help your brain to perform better.
(For more ways to incorporate more physical activity into your day-to-day routine see Want to get fit? No sweat.)
Remember, if you're new to walking, start off with slow, short sessions and build up your endurance gradually. And as with any fitness regimen, if you have any health concerns or medical conditions, be sure to check with your physician before you begin.
Sources: PreventDisease.com; Archives of Internal Medicine.
Photo ©iStockphoto.com/ Oleg Prikhodko
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