Many people exercise with weight loss in mind, but merely increasing physical activity usually isn’t effective, studies suggestThere’s rarely enough time in the day to accomplish everything we set out to do, and exercise is often sacrificed when we’re short on time.fitting 2½ hours of moderate physical activity into our lives each week — and making time for muscle-strengthening exercises.
Exploring the science and talking to researchers generated surprising information, such as you don’t need to work out every day, and stretching doesn’t automatically prevent injuries.You can keep workouts short The first 20 minutes of physical activity per session confer the most health perks, at least in terms of longevity, Dr Lee says. As you continue working out, “the bang for your buck starts to decrease” in terms of tangible health rewards, she adds.“A lot of things happen in your body from the second you start to exercise,” says Carol Ewing Garber, a movement scientist at Columbia University Teachers College.
Estimating your maximum heart rate can help you gauge how hard you should be walking, running or cycling. But it’s not perfect, since your natural heart rate during exercise may be higher or lower. Plus, the fitness levels and heart rates among people the same age can vary, and not all exercises raise your heart rate the same amount. Consider talking to your doctor before establishing your goals. “Just moving your body in some way is going to be helpful,” Garber says.