NEWS

How much do we need to exercise for it to have the biggest effect on our health?

Exercise really is the best form of medication. But how much of it do you need for it to be beneficial to your health? The answer depends on how high you wish to raise the bar. There are 3 parameters to take into account: how much time you spend being inactive (sitting or lying down) vs the amount of steps you take and the daily amount of high intensity activity.

 

1)    Daily recommended amount of steps and light intensive movement.

​

Daily exercise is the time you spend throughout the day being active (so not sitting or lying down). The health benefits of regular, consistent exercise cannot fully be enjoyed if you sit in a chair of sofa for too long. Even someone who exercises several times a week needs to get off his or her chair from time to time to book health results. Try to limit the time spent on a chair to maximum 6 to 7 hours a day. Here are a few tips to help you do this at work:  

• Take an active lunch break with your colleagues

• Have your meetings while standing

• Take a stroll in between calls or mails and stretch your legs from time to time

• Take a phone call while standing upright

You should be taking about 6.000 steps a day simply by getting around. An additional 4.000 steps should be added by taking ‘scheduled’ walks. Make 10.000 steps your daily target.

 

2)    Daily recommended activity or moderate intensive movement (= fit norm)

​

Aside from above mentioned amount of daily recommended steps there is also a recommended norm regarding general fitness. If you want to be labelled an ‘active’ person, you need to be doing moderately intensive exercise for at least half an hour a day during five days a week. (150 minutes / week)

 

3)    ​Sports norm = high intensive exercise

 

What we refer to as the ‘sports norm’ is conscious exercise at a higher intensity. This standard is set at 75 minutes, preferably spread over 3 weekly sessions of 25 minutes each. It is proven that spreading moments of activity (as opposed to doing everything in one go) is more effective than training less frequently, but intensively for a longer stretch of time. It’s important to understand that every exercise in a higher norm counts in a lower norm. For example: if you train three times a week at a higher intensity (sports norm), then these 120 minutes apply when the calculating your fit norm (150 minutes).

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Are you working on improving your stamina? An extra 10 minutes of daily exercise, how do I do that?

​

Regularly activating your muscles throughout the day works miracles. Take a walk during your lunch break for instance. It makes it easier to reach the amount of steps you set as goal by means of an App or an activity tracker.

This tip will probably help you to make your goals more attainable.

Tip: Spend 10 active minutes a day in the fresh air. Go for a walk. A 10minute walk earns you about 1.500 extra steps. Add them to the steps you take to get around throughout the day and the ideal standard of 10.000 per day becomes doable. By simply committing to 10 minute walks you’re well on your way to reaching that target.

​

Conclusion

• Make sure you take a break from sitting from time to time

• Limit the amount of hours you spend sitting to maximum 6 or 7

• Try turning 6.000 steps a day into a habit

• Commit to 5 slots of 30 minutes of ‘scheduled’ activity (walking, cycling to work)

• Exercise 3 times a week at a higher interval during 25 minutes

• Every minute in a higher level (sports norm) count in a lower level (fit norm)

• More information about the renewed movement triangle can be found on www.gezondleven.be

​

 Good luck!