H7EPBJ closeup woman running on rural road during sunset Credit: Alamy
EVEN people who have been hitting the NHS’ exercise target may still not be working out enough, say scientists.
About two thirds of us manage the two-and-a-half hours per week recommended by the health service, but a study now suggests it is simply not enough to keep our heart healthy.
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Researchers at Macao Polytechnic University in China claim adults should exercise for 10 hours per week to get real health benefits.
The advice, equal to almost an hour-and-a-half every day, is four times as high as the NHS recommendation.
The scientists said the health service’s suggestion should be the bare minimum.
They found it led to only a “modest” reduction in the risk of premature heart attack, stroke or death and much more exercise was needed to get a big benefit.
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The study of 17,088 UK adults found people who met the NHS target were just eight or nine per cent less likely to have a serious heart condition than inactive couch potatoes.
People with a significant risk reduction of 30 per cent or more were those who exercised for between 560 and 610 minutes per week.
Just one out of 10 people in the study managed such an intense level of exercise.
Writing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, study author Professor Ziheng Ning said: “Achieving substantial cardiovascular protection required moderate-to-vigorous physical activity volumes three to four times higher than current minimum recommendations.
“Low-fitness individuals needed slightly more activity than high-fitness peers to attain comparable benefits.”
They conducted the study by tracking volunteers’ movements with a wrist sensor for a week, testing their aerobic capacity and monitoring their health for about eight years.
HACKS TO HIT YOUR EXERCISE TARGET
FITTING exercise into busy modern life can be difficult but it doesn’t all need to be done at the gym.
Doctors and scientists want us to do what they call “moderate to vigorous” exercise, which is difficult enough to get your heart rate up and break a sweat.
But that doesn’t mean you need to flog yourself on a treadmill or bike until you collapse in a heap on the floor.
Here are some simple ways to get more active that count towards the NHS target of 150 minutes per week:
Walk more – Brisk walking, a bit faster than normal but not running, is ‘moderate’ exercise. Try going for a quick walk if you’re chatting on the phone; picking up the pace on the way to the shops, bus stop or train station; or simply go for a daily stroll.
Mow the lawn – The NHS lists pushing a lawnmower as a form of moderate exercise, so do yourself and the garden a favour and get down to the shed. Other chores that can class as a workout include carrying the shopping home and deep cleaning.
Dance around the house – Dancing is definitely a workout so bust a move to get the blood pumping while you are boiling the kettle, cooking dinner or even brushing your teeth.
On average people who were out of shape needed to work out for an extra 30 to 50 minutes per week to get the same health boost as an already-fit person.
Two thirds of people in the UK are overweight or obese and about 35 per cent do not meet the NHS exercise guideline.
Professor Aiden Doherty, from Oxford University, was not part of the study but commented: “Clearly there will be cardiovascular benefit for people who are able to do more than an hour and 20 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity per day, but this is not a sensible public health message.
“The public should continue to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity of physical activity per week.“More is better but every move counts.”
