People are well aware of the heart protective effects of exercise, and recommendations that people increase exercise quantity and intensity are common. But as I’ve written about previously, evidence from observational studies suggests that the sweet spot is reached at just 35 minutes of intense exercise per day (or two hours of moderately intense exercise), after which exercise confers no additional health benefit. After … Read more
Tag: aerobic exercise
Does exercise improve cognitive function?
I guess I’m biased against the idea that exercise is very important for health. I hated sports as a kid, and efforts at getting “fit” as an adult have generally ended in failure within months. Speaking of the word “fit”, one of my favourite quotes from Terry Pratchett’s discworld novels is this little exchange, from the book “Moving Pictures”:
‘That would be the senior … Read more
How much exercise will maximize longevity?
In an earlier article we debunked the claim that exercise will help you lose weight. What about whether exercise will help you live longer? Now, don’t get me wrong, I am certainly not anti-exercise. There are lots of studies showing that exercise has many and varied health benefits, from improving muscle strength and balance, to decreasing the risk of fractures and delaying the onset of … Read more
Is exercise an effective way to lose weight?
Well, Of course exercise helps you to lose weight, right? When someone wants to lose weight, they’re inevitably told to do two things – change their diet and exercise more.
I’ve always wondered about the exercise part though. Not because I don’t think people shouldn’t exercise. I definitely think everyone should engage in some form of daily exercise, due to the many different health benefits … Read more