What’s the best way to exercise? The WHO adds 3 major changes to guidelinesTO COMBAT A GLOBAL HEALTH ISSUE, WHO IS CHANGING ITS DEFINITION OF EXERCISE

WHO adds three changes to guidelines on best way to exercise

Source: British Medical Journal.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its guidelines for physical activity for the first time since 2010.

In an effort to take down sitting, has changed the way it describes sitting’s nemesis: physical activity. And anyone wary of hours on a treadmill might be glad to see a few key changes to what WHO consider exercise.

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Adults are now advised to do between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week — that’s 30 to 60 minutes per day, 5 days per week.

For adults, the guidelines contain three signs that WHO is updating the way it sees exercise and its ability to help offset the dangers of sedentary life:

  • These guidelines eliminate minimum durations for exercise, emphasizing that any amount of exercise is better than none.
  • They acknowledge a wider range of exercises, from muscle strengthening to balance workouts.
  • The guidelines suggest limiting time spent sedentary is in itself a tool that can combat sitting’s dangers, in addition to exercising.

Moderate exercise feels like a five or six out of ten effort level. If time is a factor, the guidelines suggest upping the intensity. In that case, adults should aim for 75 to 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise — effort you might rate a five or higher out of ten.

A study published last week in the special edition of the British Medical Journal strengthens the idea that movement, not just exercise, has the potential to offset sitting’s dangers. The study reviewed nine previous papers that traced more than 44,000 people with fitness trackers. The authors found that those who performed between 30 to 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise reduced the risk of death linked to sedentary time.

That suggests simply reducing time spent sitting around can help lower risk of death, in addition to exercise. These guidelines are far from something you might find posted in a gym, but they are the kind of cues that schools or governments can use to influence what an exercise program looks like.

Overall, they present a far more balanced picture of what exercise truly is: It’s not just running endless hours on a treadmill or around the block. Even if the workout isn’t going to help you win any races, it might just help keep you alive.