There are so many ways to get active, but how do you know if you’re getting enough of the right kind of exercise? should be done 5 times a week?
Aiming for more moderate-intensity exercise may be best for health benefits, according to new research.
Researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Leicester analyzed data from more than 88,000 middle-aged adults to monitor and calculate their activity and intensity, then followed their health for an average of 6.8 years.
They found that higher total physical activity was strongly associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. This risk was even lower (14% lower) when moderate-to-vigorous exercise accounted for 20% of his total physical activity instead of 10%.
Overall, the lowest rates of cardiovascular disease were among participants who engaged in higher levels of physical activity and had a higher proportion of moderate-to-high-intensity exercise.
What does moderate exercise really mean?
As the saying goes, this is not an extreme effort, but neither is it too easy.
“Moderate refers to an intensity that indicates how hard the exercise feels. People who exercise moderately should aim for something like seven tenths in terms of effort,” says Deep. Personal Trainer Chris Luxton, who works with Heat and Deep Freeze, says:
So your muscles and heart rate are being pushed up. But by not overdoing it, you’ll be able to work out more often, actually enjoy your workouts more, and hopefully reduce injuries.
“If you don’t have a lot of time to spend on fitness, moderate exercise is best,” adds Ruxton. “Perhaps your goal is health and wellness in general rather than training for a specific sport or strength training. is also optimal.”
How much exercise should I do?
Official guidelines recommend aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week, according to the NHS. Of course, individual needs and lifestyles vary.
“I recommend 30 to 45 minutes of exercise three times a week,” says Ruxton. “Two of these sessions should be a total body workout that combines cardio and strength training. This includes leg and glute squats, deadlifts, lunges, core sit-ups and planks, That means one or two exercises for each muscle group, such as push-ups and weighted exercises for your arms, shoulders, and back.
Combining strength and aerobic exercise can benefit your overall health and fitness and help you get more out of a moderate workout.
What type of moderate-intensity exercise is it?
In theory, any form of exercise can be classified as moderate if done at a moderate pace and level. Below are Laxton’s take on some key examples…
cycling
Ruxton suggests aiming for “a steady pace on flat roads or 7/10 effort on a stationary bike.” You want to feel like you just trained, but you don’t want to face the steepest hills of your life or try to break the speed record.
swimming
“In certain strokes, like the crawl, your heart rate rises quickly, so you alternate between crawl lengths and breaststroke lengths,” suggests Ruxton. “The intensity should be so high that you need to increase your breathing.”
jogging
What a moderate run feels like may vary depending on your individual basic fitness. Ruxton said: Don’t be out of breath. ”
weight training
Regarding working out with weights, Ruxton says: This is not the time for one max rep or heroic lift—choose a weight that works well for 10-12 reps. The last 2-3 times he should be 7 exercises out of 10. ”
