According to the recently released guidelines of the US Dept. of Health, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY is the most important healthy prescription FOR EVERYONE IN ALL AGE GROUPS.
The new Physical Activity Guidelines are published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Nov 12, 2018) and are based on extensive research.
Highlights below:
- Low activity responsible for 10% of premature deaths.
- Everyone can dramatically improve their health, just by moving, anytime, anywhere and by any means that get you active.
- A single episode of physical activity can reduce anxiety and blood pressure and improve quality of sleep.
- Physical activity helps in many conditions:
- Reduces pain in patients with osteoarthiris
- Improves control of diabetes and hypertension.
- Reduces anxiety and drepssion
- Improves parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s.
- Physical activity reduces risk for eight types of cancer: breast intestine, urinary bladder, uterus, esophageal, kidney, stomach, and lung cancers.
- Guidelines for various age groups:
- Age 3-5 years: to be physically active throughout the day, with a target of 3 hours per day of activity.
- Recommendations for children and adolescents aged 6 through 17 years are the same as the last guideline; they should do 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily.
- The recommendations for adults have also not changed, with at least 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an “equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity,” the authors write. “They should also do muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week.”
- Older adults are recommended to do multicomponent physical activity, including balance training and aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.
- Pregnant and postpartum women should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week.