Exercise training studies with overweight and obese youth have shown that they can reduce their body fatness by participating in physical activity that is at least moderate intensity on 3 to 5 days a week, for 30 to 60 minutes each time. For children and youth to gain comprehensive health benefits they need to participate in the following types of physical activity on 3 or more days per week: vigorous aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, and weight-loading activities.
Several manifestations of physical exercise providing health benefits for children and adolescents are evident in healthy and functional muscles and bones, increased strength and endurance, angiogenesis and neurogenesis, the reduced risk for chronic disease such as overweight and diabetes, improved self-esteem and psychological well-being, and finally higher levels of subjective and psychological well-being as well as reduced stress, anxiety and depression.
(ii) Evidence-based data are adequate to conclude that physical activity has beneficial effects on adiposity levels in those with a normal body weight, on blood pressure in normotensive youth, on plasma lipid and lipoproteins levels, on non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors (inflammatory markers, endothelial function and heart rate variability), and on several components of mental health (self-concept, anxiety and depression) 20 A summary of evidence concerning the health outcomes examined by the expert panel is shown in Table 1 Additional file 1 The amount, intensity, and type of physical activity required to achieve the result, when clear, is also shown in the table.
Excess weight among children and adolescents is linked to emerging health hazards that include respiratory complications 9 , cardiovascular risks 10 , diabetes Type 2 11 , sleep problems (Daniels et al.) metabolic disorders 12 , psychological health risks 13 and incapacity to exercise 14 Nevertheless, even relatively modest and straightforward dietary improvements (i.e. fruit and vegetables) combined with exercise programs were discovered to induce marked and long-lasting effects 15 ; certainly, parental support, modeling and encouragement, after-school and weekends, were important factors that provided for the notable progressions observed in physical activity 16 In a Spanish study of 2,330 children aged 6-17 years, Gulias-Gonzalez et al. 17 found that being overweight and obesity were related to lower levels of physical fitness but those individuals in the underweight category did not perform worse than their normal weight peers on physical fitness.
It's estimated that around 3.2 million people in the UK have diabetes , but doing physical activity can help to prevent it. Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes - exercising regularly helps you maintain a healthy weight, and therefore reduces your risk of becoming overweight or obese, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. The health benefits of a light physical activity level may include better blood cholesterol levels, reduced body fat , improved blood pressure, and improved metabolic health.
Mental health benefits have been found in people who do aerobic or a combination of aerobic and muscle- strengthening activities 3 to 5 days a week for 30 to 60 minutes at a time. Although some health benefits seem to begin with as little as 60 minutes (1 hour) a week, research shows that a total amount of 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, consistently reduces the risk of many chronic diseases and other adverse health outcomes. There is an abundance of evidence that shows regular exercise helps with body weight management, and can lower blood pressure, reduce bad cholesterol, increase good cholesterol, increase insulin sensitivity, and increase your likelihood of continuing to exercise — all indicators of better heart health.
According to the physical activity guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise with two days of strength training per week yields the same health benefits as 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise with two days of strength training each week — as does a combination of moderate- and high-intensity exercise, plus two strength training workouts. It can also lower blood pressure; improve and manage levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood; improve your body's ability to manage blood sugar and insulin levels, which lowers your risk for type 2 diabetes ; help you maintain a healthy weight; and reduce levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in your body, a sign of inflammation. Don't take our word for it: a 2010 review looked at more than 40 studies and found that regular physical activity not only helps people keep within a healthy weight range, but can cut their risk of developing two dozen physical and mental health problems.
Research has shown that people who are physically active 7 hours per week reduce their risk of dying early from heart disease or cancer by 40 percent. While these people do some amazing things, you do not have to go to such lengths to experience the benefits of regular physical activity If you are not physically active; adding just a few minutes of physical activity each day will result in some amazing benefits. Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of many chronic conditions including coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, mental health problems and musculoskeletal conditions ( 1 ).
In addition to helping to control weight, research shows that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of several diseases and conditions and improve your overall quality of life. The results from these studies, although not undisputed, indicate that as little as 10 minutes of moderate-to-high impact activities performed on as little as 2 or 3 days of the week can have a modest effect on bone mineral density when combined with more general weight bearing aerobic activities that are also beneficial for cardiovascular risk factors and obesity prevention (e.g., jogging, play, etc.). Aim to do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week to help reduce your risk of heart disease.
Doing just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day, can help to reduce your risk of heart disease. The advantages provided by physical exercise for both children and adolescents have been observed several health domains that include physiology, neuroimmune functioning, recovery from disease, accident and disability, increased strength and endurance, angiogenesis and neurogenesis, reduced risk for chronic disease, improved selfesteem and psychological well-being, and reduced stress, anxiety and depression 43 , 44 The plethora of evidence supporting the benefits of physical exercise over multiple domains increases on at least a monthly basis. However, if you are unable to do this level of activity, you can gain substantial health benefits by accumulating 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity a day, at least five times a week.
Offer online activities or health apps such as ACTIVE10 which encourages 10 minutes of brisk walking every day or ‘Couch to 5k' which helps people take up running. Well-known health benefits include weight loss, stronger bones, improved blood pressure control, lower rates of heart disease and cancer as well as increased energy levels. This helps lower your risk of heart diseases such as high cholesterol , coronary artery disease , and heart attack Regular exercise can also lower your blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
Studies show substantially lower risk when people do 150 minutes of at least moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity a week. And given that two of the greatest risk factors for strokes are high blood pressure and heart disease, it should come as no surprise that regular exercise helps reduce stroke risk, too. And perhaps one of the best new findings about exercise — especially if you, like many people, struggle to find the time to fit it into a busy day — is that all those benefits of physical activity can be had even if you only squeeze in a few minutes of exercise a day.
Research shows that regular physical activity can help reduce your risk for several diseases and health conditions and improve your overall quality of life. Physical activity or exercise can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing several diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Research has shown that 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise and strength training per day 3 to 5 times per week are optimal for maximum mental acuity benefits.
Regular physical activity reduces the risk of depression and has positive benefits for mental health including reduced anxiety, and enhanced mood and self-esteem”( 9 ). It is worth noting that the Health Survey for England 2012 initial findings report, based on data collected before, during and after the London Olympic Games, did not detect any physical activity ‘legacy effect' from the games ( 3 ). Scotland is currently looking closely at the impact of sport promotion activities alongside the 2014 Commonwealth Games ( 4 ): it will be interesting to see if sport campaigns do in fact lead insufficiently active people to attain the recommended levels. Regular physical activity or exercise reduces your chance of getting heart disease.
However, the results from several experimental studies suggested that even modest amounts of physical activity can have tremendous health benefits in high-risk youngsters (e.g., obese, high blood pressure). As summarized in Table 11 Additional file 11 , a total of 11 experimental studies examining changes in bone mineral density in response to exercise training were retrieved in the systematic review 55 , 88 - 94 , 100 - 103 Two of these studies presented identical data on the same group of participants, and were therefore presented as a single study in the table 101 , 102 The physical activity programs employed in these interventions typically consisted of moderate-to-high strain anaerobic activities such as impact resistance training, high impact weight bearing, and jumping. The good news is that inactive people that start to do moderate physical activity feel the biggest health benefits - your health risks will decrease as soon as you start to move!
Several factors facilitate health and happiness in children and adolescents: some of these factors are non-modifiable, including age, gender, genetic characteristics and macro-socioeconomy, whereas others are more-or-less modifiable, including education, income, leisure activity, social status, affective profiles and role models 1 - 3 , while physical exercise as a promoter of health and well-being is invariably available 4 It seems remarkable that the benefits of physical exercise upon psychological and physical health parameters have received a paucity of attention compared with those presenting on adult health 5 The utility and feasibility of physical exercise training programs in several pediatric disease settings and nursing educational facilities has been explored with some success 6 , 7 In a ‘review of reviews', Biddle and Asare 8 have concluded that, despite shortcomings in research design, there is a real association between physical activity and mental (psychological) health, as well as a consistent link between sedentary screen time and poorer mental health. The studies on which these findings were based used "aerobic" exercise - activities that increase heart rate and improve the body's ability to use oxygen. Getting regular physical activity on most days of the week improves health in the following ways.
Regular physical activity that is performed on most days of the week reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States. For the greatest overall health benefits, experts recommend that you do 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activity three or more times a week and some type of muscle strengthening activity and stretching at least twice a week. Replacing sedentary time with just 10 minutes of either moderate- or vigorous-intensity activity each day was linked to a 38 percent reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, while 30 minutes per day was linked to a 77 percent reduction.
Even more benefit comes from increasing the time spent in aerobic physical activity, as well as by doing muscle-strengthening exercises that "engage all the major muscle groups" on at least 2 days per week. The United States Department of Health and Human Services explain that "for substantial health benefits," adults should engage in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, preferably spread through the week in bouts of at least 10 minutes at a time. Frequent physical activity lowers the risk of heart disease and reduces blood pressure.
Regular exercise provides a myriad of health benefits, including improvements in blood pressure and blood sugar management, reduced amounts of lipids in the blood, better bone and joint health, and long-term preservation of neuro-cognitive function. Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate physical activity every week for basic health benefits; if weight loss is your goal, you may need more. Keeping active and exercising regularly will, on the whole, help you maintain a healthy body weight, This, in turn, reduces your risk of cancer, because being overweight or obese is a major risk factor for developing cancer.
Not only does regular exercise help you manage your weight and reduce your risk of developing diseases, it can help prevent and treat mental health problems. Current guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity (or a combination of the two), and muscle-strengthening exercises two or more days a week. Students were asked a number of questions about their physical activity behavior, including number of days attending physical education classes; degree of activity during these classes; number of days of being very active after school and on the weekend; involvement in sports or other activities in school and outside of school; opportunities to be involved in sports, clubs, organizations, or other activities at school; and number of days in the past week that they were physically active for at least 60 minutes per day.
(1) Adolescence is a key time to be active for both physical and mental health benefits, but organized sports aren't the only way for this age group to accumulate physical activity; even something as simple as a nightly family walk after dinner can improve health, wellness and quality of life. Many studies have shown that regular physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease ( R ). Many people don't realise that physical activity has significant benefits for health, both physical and mental, and can help to prevent and manage over 20 chronic conditions and diseases, including some cancers, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and depression.
As I report in the TIME cover story , The Exercise Cure,” only 20% of Americans get the recommended 150 minutes of strength and cardiovascular physical activity per week, more than half of all baby boomers report doing no exercise whatsoever, and 80.2 million Americans over age 6 are entirely inactive. Studies show that physical activity can reduce your risk of dying early from the leading causes of death, like heart disease and some cancers. To stay healthy, adults should try to be active daily and aim to achieve at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week through a variety of activities.
In individuals with heart disease, exercise interventions lower blood levels of fibrinogen and C-reactive protein, an important cardiovascular risk marker. Some of the most commonly cited cohorts have been described in different studies over time as more data accumulate (see Appendix 2, available online at /cgi/content/full/174/6/801/DC1 ). In this review, we searched the literature using the key words physical activity,” health,” health status,” fitness,” exercise,” chronic disease,” mortality” and disease-specific terms (e.g., cardiovascular disease,” cancer,” diabetes” and osteoporosis”). Research studies on physical activity to prevent hip fracture show that participating in 120 to 300 minutes a week of physical activity that is of at least moderate intensity is associated with a reduced risk.
Significant reductions in risk of cardiovascular disease occur at activity levels equivalent to 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity. People who do moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity have a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease than do inactive people. The benefits of physical activity also outweigh the risk of injury and sudden heart attacks, two concerns that prevent many people from becoming physically active.
Most health benefits occur with at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking. The benefits of physical activity occur in generally healthy people, in people at risk of developing chronic diseases, and in people with current chronic conditions or disabilities. On the contrary, physical activity is good for most people with heart disease provided they follow guidelines given by exercise specialists or health professionals.
Your risk of developing coronary heart disease, such as angina or a heart attack , is much reduced if you are regularly physically active. To gain health benefits, government experts in the UK suggest that you should do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. When done regularly and for extended periods of time, aerobic activity strengthens the heart and improves the body's ability to deliver oxygen to all its cells.
Studies suggest that moderate physical activity may not be sufficient to lose weight, but being very active i.e., physical activities with energy expenditure of about 2500 kcal/week were very effective in weight control in the long run. Research on the relationship between osteoporosis and physical activity revealed that exercises, particularly weight bearing and resistance exercises showed increased bone mineral density and a reduced risk of osteoporosis, particularly in middle-aged men, women, and in people of advanced age. The health benefits of physical activity include a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes , obesity, osteoporosis , certain types of cancers such as colon cancer and breast cancer , stress , anxiety , and depression It is beneficial in improving general well being, brain health, weight loss , and Parkinson's disease.
For example, walk briskly (moderate physical activity) five days a week for at least 30 minutes each time. In people with heart disease , regular aerobic activity helps the heart work better. You can reap all the physical and mental health benefits of exercise with 30-minutes of moderate exercise five times a week.
To maintain health and reduce your risk of health problems, health professionals and researchers recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days. Research has shown that doing aerobic or a mix of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities 3 to 5 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes can give you these mental health benefits. When we think of physical activity, we sometimes think of people who live a life dedicated to exercise and athletic achievement e.g. bodybuilders and marathon runners.
The risk of hip fracture is lower in active people, reduced by up to 68% at the highest level of physical activity. Several studies have confirmed that the risk of lung, colon and breast cancers can be greatly reduced in regularly active people. The Harvard School of Public Health found that just 20 minutes of regular exercise a day can improve sexual response in women.
Physical activity "improves cognitive function in healthy elderly persons, and potentially reduces the risk of developing cognitive impairment," according to the Alzheimer's Association. Regular physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure and can help to lower blood pressure in those who already have high blood pressure. Physical activity also helps prevent many diseases and improve your overall health.
Ten minutes of moderate to intense activity a day reduced the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease by 38 per cent, 30 minutes a day by a full 77 per cent, according to their calculations. Cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of death in Sweden, and while it is known that moderate to intense physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, the benefits of low-intensity activity have yet to be agreed upon. Just 30 minutes a day of exercise strenuous enough to get your heart beating faster can reduce your risk of stroke 20 percent.
Istock/NenovGetting active with your kids' or grandkids' Wii could improve some symptoms of Parkinson's disease In one study, 20 people with the disease played Wii tennis, bowling, and boxing an hour a day, three days a week for four weeks. British researchers asked a group of chronic fatigue syndrome patients to walk or perform some other aerobic exercise at least five days a week, increasing their daily activity to a maximum of 30 minutes. Therefore, it would also seem appropriate to set higher physical activity targets (60 minutes and up to several hours) that would elicit more pronounced health benefits for those children and youth who are already somewhat active (see Recommendation #1).
Evidence from observational studies also demonstrates dose-response relations between physical activity and health, with differences in health risk between the least active (or fit) and the second least active (of fit) groups. There is strong and consistent evidence based on experimental studies for several health outcomes that participating in as little as 2 or 3 hours of moderate-to-vigorously intense physical activity per week is associated with health benefits. Of the 25 available data points, the median odds ratio for overweight/obesity in the least active group relative to the most active group was 1.33. It is noteworthy that the studies that assessed moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activities alone were more consistently and strongly related to obesity than the studies that included low intensity activities within the physical activity measure.
Eight experimental studies, 5 of which were RCTs, examined the effect of exercise interventions on changes in markers of the metabolic syndrome, primarily in the form of fasting insulin and insulin resistance (Table 8) Additional file 8 32 - 34 , 36 , 52 - 55 All but one of these studies was conducted in an overweight/obese sample 33 The number of participants included in these studies was modest, with all but a single study being limited to 52 participants or less 36 The exercise interventions ranged from 6 to 40 weeks in duration and included anywhere from 80 to 200 minutes per week (10-30 minutes per average day) of prescribed exercise. Results from experimental studies indicate that even modest amounts of physical activity can have health benefits in high-risk youngsters (e.g., obese). Along with healthy eating and not smoking , physical activity improves heart health by preventing heart disease as well as helping you to recover if you have had a heart event.
Nevertheless, after adjustment for health the obesity-unhappiness link is abolished although being overweight female participants were more likely to be unhappy 21 Strong associations exist too between happiness and weight, regular physical exercise, exposure to 2nd-hand cigarette smoke, lower BMI, daily fruit/vegetables and how adolescents spend their leisure time 22 , 23 in a study of 8159 adolescent Iranian girls, observed that the adoption of regular physical exercise and other healthy behaviors promoted both better health and happiness. Regular exercise can reduce body fat and lower the risk of chronic lifestyle diseases in the elderly. Exercise can help to reduce your insulin requirements, lower your cholesterol levels and high blood pressure , and in the long term can reduce the development of heart disease and stroke.
Most of the studies involved participating in one or more aerobic activity for 20 - 30 minutes per session, several times a week. Given the numerous health benefits of physical activity, the risks of being inactive are clear. Moderate amounts of aerobic physical activity (the kind that makes you breathe faster) can reduce your risk of functional decline by as much as 30%, allowing you to continue with basic activities of daily living.
Regular physical activity can reduce blood pressure in those with high blood pressure levels. Daily physical activity can help prevent heart disease and stroke by strengthening your heart muscle, lowering your blood pressure, raising your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (good cholesterol) and lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (bad cholesterol), improving blood flow, and increasing your heart's working capacity. Regular exercise can help protect you from heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, noninsulin-dependent diabetes, obesity, back pain, osteoporosis, and can improve your mood and help you to better manage stress.
In short, regular exercise is one of the best things that people can do to help prevent illness, maintain healthy body weight, preserve health and longevity, and enhance quality of life. Research also suggests that regular physical activity can improve your general mood, self-confidence and sleep quality as well as give you more energy and reduce stress levels. The Department of Health recommends that adults should aim to be active daily and complete 2.5 hours of moderate intensity activity over a week - the equivalent of 30 minutes five times a week.
Regular physical activity can reduce your risk of some health conditions, and help you to manage others. Many medical conditions can be improved through physical exercise, including Alzheimer's disease, other forms of dementia, heart disease , diabetes , constipation, high blood pressure and obesity. Any amount of physical activity has health benefits, so don't get discouraged if you aren't getting 150 minutes of weekly activity immediately.
Children should get 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity every day to achieve maximum health benefits. Physical activity not only feels good, it helps prevent chronic diseases, improves your mood, increases your energy level and improves your quality of sleep, not to mention helps you manage and maintain your weight3. If you're overweight or obese, regular exercise can help you lose excess weight, and therefore reduces your risk of developing a range of health problems.
Regular physical activity can help keep your blood glucose levels within your target range, control your body's sensitivity to insulin and lower your blood pressure. Training with weights (or using your body weight to exercise) improves the function of your muscles and helps keep your bones strong and healthy. According to Healthy People 2020, the target for physical activity in adolescents is 60 or more minutes of daily aerobic activity.5 It is unlikely that the majority of youths achieve this target.
This results in improved levels of stamina and energy, as well as reduced risk for many serious illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain types of cancer. The Report from the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace states that young people can benefit from physical activity as it contributes to developing healthy bones, efficient heart and lung function as well as improved motor skills and cognitive function. Daily exercise can have profound benefits for adolescents - increased energy, maintenance of a healthy weight, prevention of osteoporosis, some forms of cancer and heart disease later in life, and so much more.
Couple this type of continuous, low-intensity activity with just 60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week and you will be far healthier than your inactive counterpart. Low-intensity exercise (<45% of max intensity) improves the health of people with heart disease ( R ). The idea that physical activity is important for health and disease prevention is not a new concept but has been appreciated for millennia ( R ). Indeed, Hippocrates (∼450 BC) stated that the body falls sick when exercise is deficient.
Become a physical activity role model; increasing your own activity levels will improve your own health and make it easier for you to discuss physical activity with other people. Johns Hopkins research has shown that when combined with strength training, regular aerobic exercise such as cycling, brisk walking, or swimming can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by over 50% by allowing the muscles to better process glycogen, a fuel for energy, which when impaired, leads to excessive blood sugars, and thus diabetes. Especially when combined with a smart diet, being physically active is an essential component for losing weight and even more important for keeping it off, Stewart says—which in turn helps optimize heart health.
Aerobic fitness helps the heart, lungs and blood vessels function better so cardiovascular disease can be reduced or reversed. 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) each week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity (such as brisk walking or tennis). Physical activity helps you live longer and prevent many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal blood lipid (cholesterol and triglyceride) profile, stroke, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and colon and breast cancers.
People who do regular activity have a lower risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some cancers. 42 51 54 People who regularly perform aerobic exercise (e.g., running, jogging, brisk walking, swimming, and cycling) have greater scores on neuropsychological function and performance tests that measure certain cognitive functions, such as attentional control , inhibitory control , cognitive flexibility , working memory updating and capacity, declarative memory , spatial memory , and information processing speed 42 46 48 50 51 54 The transient effects of exercise on cognition include improvements in most executive functions (e.g., attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, problem solving, and decision making) and information processing speed for a period of up to 2 hours after exercising. Studies have shown that since heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, regular exercise in aging women leads to healthier cardiovascular profiles.
23 Studies have shown that academic stress in youth increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in later years; however, these risks can be greatly decreased with regular physical exercise. Both men and women who reported increased levels of physical activity and fitness were found to have reductions in relative risk (by about 20%-35% 27 , 28 ) of death (see Appendix 2, available at /cgi/content/full/174/6/801/DC1 ). For example, in a study involving healthy middle-aged men and women followed up for 8 years, the lowest quintiles of physical fitness, as measured on an exercise treadmill, were associated with an increased risk of death from any cause compared with the top quintile for fitness (relative risk among men 3.4, 95% confidence interval CI 2.0 to 5.8, and among women 4.7, 95% CI 2.2 to 9.8). 7.
Several manifestations of physical exercise providing health benefits for children and adolescents are evident in healthy and functional muscles and bones, increased strength and endurance, angiogenesis and neurogenesis, the reduced risk for chronic disease such as overweight and diabetes, improved self-esteem and psychological well-being, and finally higher levels of subjective and psychological well-being as well as reduced stress, anxiety and depression.
(ii) Evidence-based data are adequate to conclude that physical activity has beneficial effects on adiposity levels in those with a normal body weight, on blood pressure in normotensive youth, on plasma lipid and lipoproteins levels, on non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors (inflammatory markers, endothelial function and heart rate variability), and on several components of mental health (self-concept, anxiety and depression) 20 A summary of evidence concerning the health outcomes examined by the expert panel is shown in Table 1 Additional file 1 The amount, intensity, and type of physical activity required to achieve the result, when clear, is also shown in the table.
Excess weight among children and adolescents is linked to emerging health hazards that include respiratory complications 9 , cardiovascular risks 10 , diabetes Type 2 11 , sleep problems (Daniels et al.) metabolic disorders 12 , psychological health risks 13 and incapacity to exercise 14 Nevertheless, even relatively modest and straightforward dietary improvements (i.e. fruit and vegetables) combined with exercise programs were discovered to induce marked and long-lasting effects 15 ; certainly, parental support, modeling and encouragement, after-school and weekends, were important factors that provided for the notable progressions observed in physical activity 16 In a Spanish study of 2,330 children aged 6-17 years, Gulias-Gonzalez et al. 17 found that being overweight and obesity were related to lower levels of physical fitness but those individuals in the underweight category did not perform worse than their normal weight peers on physical fitness.
It's estimated that around 3.2 million people in the UK have diabetes , but doing physical activity can help to prevent it. Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes - exercising regularly helps you maintain a healthy weight, and therefore reduces your risk of becoming overweight or obese, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. The health benefits of a light physical activity level may include better blood cholesterol levels, reduced body fat , improved blood pressure, and improved metabolic health.
Mental health benefits have been found in people who do aerobic or a combination of aerobic and muscle- strengthening activities 3 to 5 days a week for 30 to 60 minutes at a time. Although some health benefits seem to begin with as little as 60 minutes (1 hour) a week, research shows that a total amount of 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, consistently reduces the risk of many chronic diseases and other adverse health outcomes. There is an abundance of evidence that shows regular exercise helps with body weight management, and can lower blood pressure, reduce bad cholesterol, increase good cholesterol, increase insulin sensitivity, and increase your likelihood of continuing to exercise — all indicators of better heart health.
According to the physical activity guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise with two days of strength training per week yields the same health benefits as 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise with two days of strength training each week — as does a combination of moderate- and high-intensity exercise, plus two strength training workouts. It can also lower blood pressure; improve and manage levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood; improve your body's ability to manage blood sugar and insulin levels, which lowers your risk for type 2 diabetes ; help you maintain a healthy weight; and reduce levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in your body, a sign of inflammation. Don't take our word for it: a 2010 review looked at more than 40 studies and found that regular physical activity not only helps people keep within a healthy weight range, but can cut their risk of developing two dozen physical and mental health problems.
Research has shown that people who are physically active 7 hours per week reduce their risk of dying early from heart disease or cancer by 40 percent. While these people do some amazing things, you do not have to go to such lengths to experience the benefits of regular physical activity If you are not physically active; adding just a few minutes of physical activity each day will result in some amazing benefits. Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of many chronic conditions including coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, mental health problems and musculoskeletal conditions ( 1 ).
In addition to helping to control weight, research shows that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of several diseases and conditions and improve your overall quality of life. The results from these studies, although not undisputed, indicate that as little as 10 minutes of moderate-to-high impact activities performed on as little as 2 or 3 days of the week can have a modest effect on bone mineral density when combined with more general weight bearing aerobic activities that are also beneficial for cardiovascular risk factors and obesity prevention (e.g., jogging, play, etc.). Aim to do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week to help reduce your risk of heart disease.
Doing just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day, can help to reduce your risk of heart disease. The advantages provided by physical exercise for both children and adolescents have been observed several health domains that include physiology, neuroimmune functioning, recovery from disease, accident and disability, increased strength and endurance, angiogenesis and neurogenesis, reduced risk for chronic disease, improved selfesteem and psychological well-being, and reduced stress, anxiety and depression 43 , 44 The plethora of evidence supporting the benefits of physical exercise over multiple domains increases on at least a monthly basis. However, if you are unable to do this level of activity, you can gain substantial health benefits by accumulating 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity a day, at least five times a week.
Offer online activities or health apps such as ACTIVE10 which encourages 10 minutes of brisk walking every day or ‘Couch to 5k' which helps people take up running. Well-known health benefits include weight loss, stronger bones, improved blood pressure control, lower rates of heart disease and cancer as well as increased energy levels. This helps lower your risk of heart diseases such as high cholesterol , coronary artery disease , and heart attack Regular exercise can also lower your blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
Studies show substantially lower risk when people do 150 minutes of at least moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity a week. And given that two of the greatest risk factors for strokes are high blood pressure and heart disease, it should come as no surprise that regular exercise helps reduce stroke risk, too. And perhaps one of the best new findings about exercise — especially if you, like many people, struggle to find the time to fit it into a busy day — is that all those benefits of physical activity can be had even if you only squeeze in a few minutes of exercise a day.
Research shows that regular physical activity can help reduce your risk for several diseases and health conditions and improve your overall quality of life. Physical activity or exercise can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing several diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Research has shown that 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise and strength training per day 3 to 5 times per week are optimal for maximum mental acuity benefits.
Regular physical activity reduces the risk of depression and has positive benefits for mental health including reduced anxiety, and enhanced mood and self-esteem”( 9 ). It is worth noting that the Health Survey for England 2012 initial findings report, based on data collected before, during and after the London Olympic Games, did not detect any physical activity ‘legacy effect' from the games ( 3 ). Scotland is currently looking closely at the impact of sport promotion activities alongside the 2014 Commonwealth Games ( 4 ): it will be interesting to see if sport campaigns do in fact lead insufficiently active people to attain the recommended levels. Regular physical activity or exercise reduces your chance of getting heart disease.
However, the results from several experimental studies suggested that even modest amounts of physical activity can have tremendous health benefits in high-risk youngsters (e.g., obese, high blood pressure). As summarized in Table 11 Additional file 11 , a total of 11 experimental studies examining changes in bone mineral density in response to exercise training were retrieved in the systematic review 55 , 88 - 94 , 100 - 103 Two of these studies presented identical data on the same group of participants, and were therefore presented as a single study in the table 101 , 102 The physical activity programs employed in these interventions typically consisted of moderate-to-high strain anaerobic activities such as impact resistance training, high impact weight bearing, and jumping. The good news is that inactive people that start to do moderate physical activity feel the biggest health benefits - your health risks will decrease as soon as you start to move!
Several factors facilitate health and happiness in children and adolescents: some of these factors are non-modifiable, including age, gender, genetic characteristics and macro-socioeconomy, whereas others are more-or-less modifiable, including education, income, leisure activity, social status, affective profiles and role models 1 - 3 , while physical exercise as a promoter of health and well-being is invariably available 4 It seems remarkable that the benefits of physical exercise upon psychological and physical health parameters have received a paucity of attention compared with those presenting on adult health 5 The utility and feasibility of physical exercise training programs in several pediatric disease settings and nursing educational facilities has been explored with some success 6 , 7 In a ‘review of reviews', Biddle and Asare 8 have concluded that, despite shortcomings in research design, there is a real association between physical activity and mental (psychological) health, as well as a consistent link between sedentary screen time and poorer mental health. The studies on which these findings were based used "aerobic" exercise - activities that increase heart rate and improve the body's ability to use oxygen. Getting regular physical activity on most days of the week improves health in the following ways.
Regular physical activity that is performed on most days of the week reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States. For the greatest overall health benefits, experts recommend that you do 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activity three or more times a week and some type of muscle strengthening activity and stretching at least twice a week. Replacing sedentary time with just 10 minutes of either moderate- or vigorous-intensity activity each day was linked to a 38 percent reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, while 30 minutes per day was linked to a 77 percent reduction.
Even more benefit comes from increasing the time spent in aerobic physical activity, as well as by doing muscle-strengthening exercises that "engage all the major muscle groups" on at least 2 days per week. The United States Department of Health and Human Services explain that "for substantial health benefits," adults should engage in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, preferably spread through the week in bouts of at least 10 minutes at a time. Frequent physical activity lowers the risk of heart disease and reduces blood pressure.
Regular exercise provides a myriad of health benefits, including improvements in blood pressure and blood sugar management, reduced amounts of lipids in the blood, better bone and joint health, and long-term preservation of neuro-cognitive function. Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate physical activity every week for basic health benefits; if weight loss is your goal, you may need more. Keeping active and exercising regularly will, on the whole, help you maintain a healthy body weight, This, in turn, reduces your risk of cancer, because being overweight or obese is a major risk factor for developing cancer.
Not only does regular exercise help you manage your weight and reduce your risk of developing diseases, it can help prevent and treat mental health problems. Current guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity (or a combination of the two), and muscle-strengthening exercises two or more days a week. Students were asked a number of questions about their physical activity behavior, including number of days attending physical education classes; degree of activity during these classes; number of days of being very active after school and on the weekend; involvement in sports or other activities in school and outside of school; opportunities to be involved in sports, clubs, organizations, or other activities at school; and number of days in the past week that they were physically active for at least 60 minutes per day.
(1) Adolescence is a key time to be active for both physical and mental health benefits, but organized sports aren't the only way for this age group to accumulate physical activity; even something as simple as a nightly family walk after dinner can improve health, wellness and quality of life. Many studies have shown that regular physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease ( R ). Many people don't realise that physical activity has significant benefits for health, both physical and mental, and can help to prevent and manage over 20 chronic conditions and diseases, including some cancers, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and depression.
As I report in the TIME cover story , The Exercise Cure,” only 20% of Americans get the recommended 150 minutes of strength and cardiovascular physical activity per week, more than half of all baby boomers report doing no exercise whatsoever, and 80.2 million Americans over age 6 are entirely inactive. Studies show that physical activity can reduce your risk of dying early from the leading causes of death, like heart disease and some cancers. To stay healthy, adults should try to be active daily and aim to achieve at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week through a variety of activities.
In individuals with heart disease, exercise interventions lower blood levels of fibrinogen and C-reactive protein, an important cardiovascular risk marker. Some of the most commonly cited cohorts have been described in different studies over time as more data accumulate (see Appendix 2, available online at /cgi/content/full/174/6/801/DC1 ). In this review, we searched the literature using the key words physical activity,” health,” health status,” fitness,” exercise,” chronic disease,” mortality” and disease-specific terms (e.g., cardiovascular disease,” cancer,” diabetes” and osteoporosis”). Research studies on physical activity to prevent hip fracture show that participating in 120 to 300 minutes a week of physical activity that is of at least moderate intensity is associated with a reduced risk.
Significant reductions in risk of cardiovascular disease occur at activity levels equivalent to 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity. People who do moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity have a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease than do inactive people. The benefits of physical activity also outweigh the risk of injury and sudden heart attacks, two concerns that prevent many people from becoming physically active.
Most health benefits occur with at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking. The benefits of physical activity occur in generally healthy people, in people at risk of developing chronic diseases, and in people with current chronic conditions or disabilities. On the contrary, physical activity is good for most people with heart disease provided they follow guidelines given by exercise specialists or health professionals.
Your risk of developing coronary heart disease, such as angina or a heart attack , is much reduced if you are regularly physically active. To gain health benefits, government experts in the UK suggest that you should do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. When done regularly and for extended periods of time, aerobic activity strengthens the heart and improves the body's ability to deliver oxygen to all its cells.
Studies suggest that moderate physical activity may not be sufficient to lose weight, but being very active i.e., physical activities with energy expenditure of about 2500 kcal/week were very effective in weight control in the long run. Research on the relationship between osteoporosis and physical activity revealed that exercises, particularly weight bearing and resistance exercises showed increased bone mineral density and a reduced risk of osteoporosis, particularly in middle-aged men, women, and in people of advanced age. The health benefits of physical activity include a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes , obesity, osteoporosis , certain types of cancers such as colon cancer and breast cancer , stress , anxiety , and depression It is beneficial in improving general well being, brain health, weight loss , and Parkinson's disease.
For example, walk briskly (moderate physical activity) five days a week for at least 30 minutes each time. In people with heart disease , regular aerobic activity helps the heart work better. You can reap all the physical and mental health benefits of exercise with 30-minutes of moderate exercise five times a week.
To maintain health and reduce your risk of health problems, health professionals and researchers recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days. Research has shown that doing aerobic or a mix of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities 3 to 5 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes can give you these mental health benefits. When we think of physical activity, we sometimes think of people who live a life dedicated to exercise and athletic achievement e.g. bodybuilders and marathon runners.
The risk of hip fracture is lower in active people, reduced by up to 68% at the highest level of physical activity. Several studies have confirmed that the risk of lung, colon and breast cancers can be greatly reduced in regularly active people. The Harvard School of Public Health found that just 20 minutes of regular exercise a day can improve sexual response in women.
Physical activity "improves cognitive function in healthy elderly persons, and potentially reduces the risk of developing cognitive impairment," according to the Alzheimer's Association. Regular physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure and can help to lower blood pressure in those who already have high blood pressure. Physical activity also helps prevent many diseases and improve your overall health.
Ten minutes of moderate to intense activity a day reduced the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease by 38 per cent, 30 minutes a day by a full 77 per cent, according to their calculations. Cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of death in Sweden, and while it is known that moderate to intense physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, the benefits of low-intensity activity have yet to be agreed upon. Just 30 minutes a day of exercise strenuous enough to get your heart beating faster can reduce your risk of stroke 20 percent.
Istock/NenovGetting active with your kids' or grandkids' Wii could improve some symptoms of Parkinson's disease In one study, 20 people with the disease played Wii tennis, bowling, and boxing an hour a day, three days a week for four weeks. British researchers asked a group of chronic fatigue syndrome patients to walk or perform some other aerobic exercise at least five days a week, increasing their daily activity to a maximum of 30 minutes. Therefore, it would also seem appropriate to set higher physical activity targets (60 minutes and up to several hours) that would elicit more pronounced health benefits for those children and youth who are already somewhat active (see Recommendation #1).
Evidence from observational studies also demonstrates dose-response relations between physical activity and health, with differences in health risk between the least active (or fit) and the second least active (of fit) groups. There is strong and consistent evidence based on experimental studies for several health outcomes that participating in as little as 2 or 3 hours of moderate-to-vigorously intense physical activity per week is associated with health benefits. Of the 25 available data points, the median odds ratio for overweight/obesity in the least active group relative to the most active group was 1.33. It is noteworthy that the studies that assessed moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activities alone were more consistently and strongly related to obesity than the studies that included low intensity activities within the physical activity measure.
Eight experimental studies, 5 of which were RCTs, examined the effect of exercise interventions on changes in markers of the metabolic syndrome, primarily in the form of fasting insulin and insulin resistance (Table 8) Additional file 8 32 - 34 , 36 , 52 - 55 All but one of these studies was conducted in an overweight/obese sample 33 The number of participants included in these studies was modest, with all but a single study being limited to 52 participants or less 36 The exercise interventions ranged from 6 to 40 weeks in duration and included anywhere from 80 to 200 minutes per week (10-30 minutes per average day) of prescribed exercise. Results from experimental studies indicate that even modest amounts of physical activity can have health benefits in high-risk youngsters (e.g., obese). Along with healthy eating and not smoking , physical activity improves heart health by preventing heart disease as well as helping you to recover if you have had a heart event.
Nevertheless, after adjustment for health the obesity-unhappiness link is abolished although being overweight female participants were more likely to be unhappy 21 Strong associations exist too between happiness and weight, regular physical exercise, exposure to 2nd-hand cigarette smoke, lower BMI, daily fruit/vegetables and how adolescents spend their leisure time 22 , 23 in a study of 8159 adolescent Iranian girls, observed that the adoption of regular physical exercise and other healthy behaviors promoted both better health and happiness. Regular exercise can reduce body fat and lower the risk of chronic lifestyle diseases in the elderly. Exercise can help to reduce your insulin requirements, lower your cholesterol levels and high blood pressure , and in the long term can reduce the development of heart disease and stroke.
Most of the studies involved participating in one or more aerobic activity for 20 - 30 minutes per session, several times a week. Given the numerous health benefits of physical activity, the risks of being inactive are clear. Moderate amounts of aerobic physical activity (the kind that makes you breathe faster) can reduce your risk of functional decline by as much as 30%, allowing you to continue with basic activities of daily living.
Regular physical activity can reduce blood pressure in those with high blood pressure levels. Daily physical activity can help prevent heart disease and stroke by strengthening your heart muscle, lowering your blood pressure, raising your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (good cholesterol) and lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (bad cholesterol), improving blood flow, and increasing your heart's working capacity. Regular exercise can help protect you from heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, noninsulin-dependent diabetes, obesity, back pain, osteoporosis, and can improve your mood and help you to better manage stress.
In short, regular exercise is one of the best things that people can do to help prevent illness, maintain healthy body weight, preserve health and longevity, and enhance quality of life. Research also suggests that regular physical activity can improve your general mood, self-confidence and sleep quality as well as give you more energy and reduce stress levels. The Department of Health recommends that adults should aim to be active daily and complete 2.5 hours of moderate intensity activity over a week - the equivalent of 30 minutes five times a week.
Regular physical activity can reduce your risk of some health conditions, and help you to manage others. Many medical conditions can be improved through physical exercise, including Alzheimer's disease, other forms of dementia, heart disease , diabetes , constipation, high blood pressure and obesity. Any amount of physical activity has health benefits, so don't get discouraged if you aren't getting 150 minutes of weekly activity immediately.
Children should get 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity every day to achieve maximum health benefits. Physical activity not only feels good, it helps prevent chronic diseases, improves your mood, increases your energy level and improves your quality of sleep, not to mention helps you manage and maintain your weight3. If you're overweight or obese, regular exercise can help you lose excess weight, and therefore reduces your risk of developing a range of health problems.
Regular physical activity can help keep your blood glucose levels within your target range, control your body's sensitivity to insulin and lower your blood pressure. Training with weights (or using your body weight to exercise) improves the function of your muscles and helps keep your bones strong and healthy. According to Healthy People 2020, the target for physical activity in adolescents is 60 or more minutes of daily aerobic activity.5 It is unlikely that the majority of youths achieve this target.
This results in improved levels of stamina and energy, as well as reduced risk for many serious illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain types of cancer. The Report from the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace states that young people can benefit from physical activity as it contributes to developing healthy bones, efficient heart and lung function as well as improved motor skills and cognitive function. Daily exercise can have profound benefits for adolescents - increased energy, maintenance of a healthy weight, prevention of osteoporosis, some forms of cancer and heart disease later in life, and so much more.
Couple this type of continuous, low-intensity activity with just 60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week and you will be far healthier than your inactive counterpart. Low-intensity exercise (<45% of max intensity) improves the health of people with heart disease ( R ). The idea that physical activity is important for health and disease prevention is not a new concept but has been appreciated for millennia ( R ). Indeed, Hippocrates (∼450 BC) stated that the body falls sick when exercise is deficient.
Become a physical activity role model; increasing your own activity levels will improve your own health and make it easier for you to discuss physical activity with other people. Johns Hopkins research has shown that when combined with strength training, regular aerobic exercise such as cycling, brisk walking, or swimming can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by over 50% by allowing the muscles to better process glycogen, a fuel for energy, which when impaired, leads to excessive blood sugars, and thus diabetes. Especially when combined with a smart diet, being physically active is an essential component for losing weight and even more important for keeping it off, Stewart says—which in turn helps optimize heart health.
Aerobic fitness helps the heart, lungs and blood vessels function better so cardiovascular disease can be reduced or reversed. 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) each week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity (such as brisk walking or tennis). Physical activity helps you live longer and prevent many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal blood lipid (cholesterol and triglyceride) profile, stroke, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and colon and breast cancers.
People who do regular activity have a lower risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some cancers. 42 51 54 People who regularly perform aerobic exercise (e.g., running, jogging, brisk walking, swimming, and cycling) have greater scores on neuropsychological function and performance tests that measure certain cognitive functions, such as attentional control , inhibitory control , cognitive flexibility , working memory updating and capacity, declarative memory , spatial memory , and information processing speed 42 46 48 50 51 54 The transient effects of exercise on cognition include improvements in most executive functions (e.g., attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, problem solving, and decision making) and information processing speed for a period of up to 2 hours after exercising. Studies have shown that since heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, regular exercise in aging women leads to healthier cardiovascular profiles.
23 Studies have shown that academic stress in youth increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in later years; however, these risks can be greatly decreased with regular physical exercise. Both men and women who reported increased levels of physical activity and fitness were found to have reductions in relative risk (by about 20%-35% 27 , 28 ) of death (see Appendix 2, available at /cgi/content/full/174/6/801/DC1 ). For example, in a study involving healthy middle-aged men and women followed up for 8 years, the lowest quintiles of physical fitness, as measured on an exercise treadmill, were associated with an increased risk of death from any cause compared with the top quintile for fitness (relative risk among men 3.4, 95% confidence interval CI 2.0 to 5.8, and among women 4.7, 95% CI 2.2 to 9.8). 7.
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