According to US Department of Health guidelines, at least 150 to 300 minutes of physical activity is recommendedmedium intensityper week needed (which includes simple activities likebrisk walkingincludes) to stay healthy and fit. For those who exercise intensely, that number shrinks to 75 to 150 minutes per week.
According to a new study published inAmerican Journal of Preventative Medicinewas published, however, you should do even more moderate-intensity exercise if yourHeart healthmaximize and yoursBlood pressurewant to keep it low until old age. Read on to learn more about this study.
Exercise moderately for at least five hours per week
According to the experts at the Mayo Clinic,...moderate exercise activities such as “brisk walking, cycling and mowing the lawn”. “As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day,” advise health experts. “If you want to lose weight, maintain your weight, or reach certain fitness goals, you may need to exercise more and train more intensely.”
If your training goals include:Prevention of high blood pressure(and a long life), then you should, according to the new studyat least five hours per weekperform a moderate-intensity activity. By the way, that's exactly 300 minutes. So if you're currently meeting the recommended minimum of 150 minutes per week, you're only halfway there, according to this study.
How the researchers arrived at this number
The researchers analyzed a project called “Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults,” which began in the mid-1980s with more than 5,000 teenagers and spanned the next 30 years. According to questionnaires that study participants filled out over the years, the only ones who didn't suffer from high blood pressure were those who exercised more than 300 minutes a week.
Almost 50% of the German population suffers from high blood pressure (130/80 mmHg or above). Some of the side effects of high blood pressure can increase the risk of fatal cardiovascular disease. Signs of high blood pressure include heart pain, kidney problems, stroke, sexual dysfunction, and vision problems, among others.
The study also found racial differences. According to the study, black respondents reported exercising far less and suffered more from the effects of high blood pressure than white respondents.
It is worth noting that the new research does not make any recommendations regarding thishigh intensity activitiesthere, for example atHigh intensity exercisesor exercises that leave you out of breath and cause you to sweat after a few minutes, such as: B. Running and swimming. In this case, the recommended duration of at least still applies75 minutes per week.
Reference:American Journal of Preventative Medicine (15. April 2021):Physical Activity and Hypertension From Young Adulthood to Middle Age; Jason M. Nagata et al.
