WASHINGTON (AP) -- Get moving: The nation's new exercise guidelines set a minimum sweat allotment for good health. For most adults, that's 2½ hours a week. How much physical activity you need depends largely on age and level of fitness.
Moderate exercise adds up for sluggish adults. Rake leaves, take a quick walk around the block or suit up for the neighborhood softball game. More fit adults could pack in their week's requirement in 75 minutes with vigorous exercise, such as jogging, hiking uphill, a bike race or speedy laps in the pool.
Children and teens need more -- pretty brisk activities for at least an hour a day, say the government guidelines being released Tuesday.
Consider it the exercise version of the food pyramid. The guidelines, from the Health and Human Services Department, aim to end years of confusion about how much physical activity is enough, while making clear that there are lots of ways to achieve it.
"The easy message is get active, whatever your way is. Get active your way," HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt told The Associated Press.
It's OK to start slowly. Someone who's done no exercising will start seeing benefits with as little as 10 minutes of moderately intense exercise a day, which is an incentive to work up to the recommended amounts, said Rear Adm. Penelope Royall, deputy assistant secretary for disease prevention.
Response:
I could not agree with this article anymore, I feel that it is time people get off their lazy bums and get active. Ten minutes a day is very little when you have twenty four. With fast food so convenient and work slowing people down, I feel it is good for the mind and body to at least get ten minutes of exercise everyday. Maybe ten minutes is not enough, twenty minutes is even better and gets your metabolism going faster to burn more calories. It is very good that the government want people to start being more active and have a more positive outlook on life and their day. It is proven that working out sets off endorphins in the brain escalating your sense of achievement. Very good atricle.
David Caldwell
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2 comments:
I myself am a huge advocate of working out and stying in great shape. I dont understand why people dont want to keep their bodies in shape. Nothing in life comes easy including staying fit. I have very little respect for people who are overweight and do nothing about it.
The government can do only so much. As stated above it is peoples job to get off their fat lazy ass and get into shape.
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