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Exercise Requirement for Health Benefits

I’m sure you’ve heard many different versions of exercise requirement for health improvement. How much exercise is enough - twenty, thirty, or sixty minutes? What is the right exercise frequency? What is the best method of exercise - walking, jogging, tennis, basketball or cycling?

It’s confusing isn’t it? Well, how much exercise is enough? You can ask your doctor. He could give you some guidelines considering your age, sex, weight, and health condition. It also depends on what your objectives are. Do you want to exercise to lose weight, to become fit, or to lower the risk of developing certain diseases?

Here are some health benefits of exercise according to the Surgeon General:

- Lowers high blood pressure (H.B.P.) or risk of developing H.B.P.
- Lowers high blood cholesterol levels or risk of developing high cholesterol levels
- Reduces risk of heart disease
- Reduces risk of cancer such as cancers of the colon and breast.
- Reduces risk of diabetes
- Reduces risk of premature death
- Reduces or maintains body weight or fat
- Builds and maintains healthy muscles, bones and joints
- Reduces depression and anxiety
- Improves psychological well-being
- Enhances work, recreation and sport performance

According to studies, the Surgeon General in 1996 recommended 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. In 2002, however, the Institute of Medicine reported that adults should exercise at comfortably vigorous intensity levels, such as brisk walking, for 60 minutes every day of the week.

They found that in order to obtain the above benefits - 30-minute exercise sessions on most days are not enough for most people to maintain an ideal weight - since being overweight is a health risk factor in itself. So where do you fall into this. It depends on your body composition, age, levels of activity, and fitness. An adequate exercise prescription, for most, would be walking at a moderately vigorous level (3-4 miles per hour) for 60 minutes, or participating in a higher intensity exercise such as step climbing or jogging for 20-30 minutes, for most days of the week.

While the Surgeon General’s recommendation of 30 minutes exercise at moderately vigorous level of intensity will provide important health benefits, 60 minutes of exercise may further increase these benefits.

Feel free to search the net for more information on related products that will help you achieve specific health goals. Look for best offers from health clubs, online fitness programs and home exercise equipment that are in line with your exercise objectives. Shopping through the Internet provides several advantages. You have access to a wealth of information on a wide variety of programs and products which can help you make intelligent decisions and comparisons. The other thing is, when you purchase products online they can be conveniently shipped right to your door.

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