Contents:
- Medical Video: How much physical activity is recommended for adults and children?
- The type of exercise recommended for adults
- 1. Aerobic type exercise
- 2. Medium or high intensity exercise
- How long does the exercise take?
- What if you can't exercise for 30 minutes?
- What if moderate intensity exercise is too heavy for you?
Medical Video: How much physical activity is recommended for adults and children?
Active life provides many benefits for our health. Apart from keeping us from various physical ailments such as coronary heart disease, obesity, hypertension, osteoporosis, colon cancer, breast cancer, and diabetes mellitus, exercise can also keep us from mental disorders such as depression. Exercise makes you more physically fit and at the same time more healthy.
For those aged 18-64 years, WHO (World Health Organization) recommendminimal moderate intensity aerobic exercise for 150 minutes per week or 75 minutes of high intensity aerobic exercise. Confused? Let's discuss them one by one.
The type of exercise recommended for adults
1. Aerobic type exercise
The recommended exercise is aerobic type exercise. Some types of sports included in the group of aerobic exercise are:
- run (jogging)
- walk fast
- swim
- cycling
- aerobics
- Team sports competitions such as football and basketball.
There is no "best" type of exercise. You are free to determine which type of exercise you like and you can do it easily. For example, of course swimming is not the right choice if you can't swim or don't have access to a swimming pool. If you have been exercising for a long time and are hesitant in choosing the type of exercise, you can try walking fast. Walking fast is considered easy to do and you can do it anywhere. You can even do it in the mall!
Choose sports that you can do together with your family or friends. People who exercise together tend to be more consistent in exercising. This is not surprising. Sports done together are certainly more fun. If you have a history of injury or have a history of a particular disease, discuss it first with your doctor about sports choices that are safe for you.
2. Medium or high intensity exercise
The practical and easy way you can do to determine whether the exercise you are doing is in moderate or high intensity, is to use the following "test":
- When you do sports with moderate intensity, so you can still talk freely while exercising, but you don't "have enough breath" to sing.
- When you do sports with high intensity, then you can only talk breathlessly where your sentence will be cut off because you have to take a breath.
For that, try to say one sentence and sing for a while to find out the intensity of the exercise you are doing.
How long does the exercise take?
In accordance with WHO recommendations, you are advised to do moderate intensity exercise for 150 minutes per week, or exercise with high intensity for 75 minutes.
Does this mean you have to exercise for 2.5 hours (150 minutes) or 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes) non-stop? Certainly not.You can share it in a few days. Association of American cardiologists or American Heart Association (AHA) suggests the following.
- 150 minutes per week for moderate intensity.Exercise should be done minimal for 5 days a week, and in a day minimal You exercise for 30 minutes.
- 75 minutes per week for high intensity.Exercise should be done at a minimum for 3 days a week, and in a day minimum You exercise for 25 minutes.
What if you can't exercise for 30 minutes?
If 30 minutes still feels too long for you, you can divide it into 3 short 10-minute sessions. According to WHO, the minimum duration of beneficial exercise is 10 minutes.
What if you feel tired before 10 minutes? Don't force yourself! In people who are just starting to exercise, this often happens. If you feel not strong, take a break immediately. Drastic changes in the body can be dangerous. You don't need to be disappointed if you can't reach your ideal target. The more often you exercise, the greater your capacity to exercise.
What if moderate intensity exercise is too heavy for you?
If you are already struggling even while doing moderate intensity exercise, you can start active life by doing other activities that are lighter.
Some activities that you can do are more walking (for example, avoiding using a vehicle when going to a convenience store near your home or just walking around the mall while washing your eyes), dancing, doing housework, gardening, taking an afternoon pet dog and playing with children (eg hide and seek or jump rope).
So, to be healthier, what activities will you try to do today?
