Exercise has positive effects on quality of life… even if you exercise 10 minutes a day!

margaret | April 27, 2009

What if just 10 minutes of exercise a day could better your mood, give you more energy, improved confidence, increase motivation, and even increase agility? Well, studies have found exactly that to be true!

With such a stressful economic climate today, we are valuing our quality of life much more. It is important to only stay healthy but feel as good as possible in order to be able to face life’s daily tasks and curve balls.

Findings from the Archives of Internal Medicine outline the results of study where 430 sedentary postmenopausal women which were divided into 4 groups: non-exercisers, moderate exercise for one hour a week, moderate exercise for two hours a week, and moderate exercise for 3 hours a week. Questionnaires were completed at the end of the trail which found that these women found improvements in all aspects of quality of life (mental health, energy, social functioning, and emotional health). There was a direct correlation that the more the women exercised the greater the improvements.

Even more interestingly, the study found it is possible to be overweight or obese but live 3 years longer than a normal-weight individual who does not partake in daily moderate exercise.

So much activity should you do? The government’s latest physical activity guidelines suggest:

· 2 ½ hours moderate-intensity physical activity (brisk walking) or 1 ¼ hours a week of a vigorous-intensity activity (jogging or swimming)

· Better yet would be 5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity or 2 ½ hours of vigorous activity

· Two or more days a week is recommend for adults of resistance training which should cover all major muscle groups including chest, back, shoulders, thighs, hips, and abdomen.

· Older adults should follow the same guidelines if able to. If not they should do as much physical activity as their bodies’ will allow. Balance training should be integrated to help prevent falls.

This article was contributed by our patient and the best fitness trainer in Columbus.