WASHINGTON — Doctors have long prescribed exercise to patients seeking a healthy, long life, and two new studies outline the proper dose.
Combined, these studies tracked the exercise patterns and longevity of almost one million people. The researchers found that the current recommendation of 150 minutes of exercise, while helpful, does not provide the optimum benefit. To do that, adults need to step up their game.
“The ideal they found was actually close to an hour a day of moderate exercise,” says Gretchen Reynolds, a fitness columnist for The New York Times.
She says the broader of the two studies — conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute, Harvard University and other institutions — found that those who do not exercise at all were at the highest risk of early death.
Those who hit the 150 minutes per week guideline cut their risk of premature death by 31 percent, while people who went with an hour each day reduced their risk of dying young by 39 percent.
The other study was conducted in Australia and covered much of the same territory, but also looked at the intensity of exercise, focusing on concerns of possible wear and tear on the body that could affect longevity.
Reynolds says they looked at people who were doing up to 25 hours a week of heavy-duty exercise, and notes “the scientists found no harmful upper limit.”
Neither study differentiated between cardiovascular activity — such as running, walking and swimming — and strength training.
But Reynolds says other researchers have looked at the benefits of weight training, and there is no doubt it boosts overall health.
She says these studies found the most effective form of exercise is what is known as “interval training,” interspersing moderate exercise with bursts of vigorous activity.
