This is how much exercise you need, according to the WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently issued new guidelines for physical activity for all ages, updating them for the first time in a decade.
The recommendations address, as they always have, ideal physical activity for children, adolescents, adults and older adults. What’s new is that the guidelines include specific recommendations on physical activity for pregnant and postpartum women, as well as people living with chronic health conditions or disabilities, for the first time. In addition, the guidelines now address the health effects of sedentary behavior, encouraging people to move more in general — even if it’s not a workout.
“I think it's great that an expert panel from WHO is taking such a detailed look at the benefits of exercise and physical activity and formulating evidence-based guidelines to help improve people's health and well-being,” Dr. Theodore B. Shybut, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, tells Yahoo Life.
‘Some physical activity is better than doing none’
Recent estimates show that one in four (27.5 percent) adults and more than 80 percent of teens globally do not meet the recommendations for aerobic exercise, according to the guidelines, which were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. With more people stuck at home, the pandemic may be making matters worse.
While some have taken being homebound as an opportunity to work out more often and get in better shape, others have become more sedentary during the pandemic. According to an April 2020 study, “this health crisis has the potential to further impact and accelerate” physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors.
“Some people have been able to take advantage of reduced commute time and working remotely to be able to squeeze workouts into their schedule that were not feasible when tied to their office all day,” Shybut says. “On the other hand, many people have lost jobs or have had to provide more hands-on child care and so they have lost a lot of time they would normally have available for workouts.”
Shybut, who explains that WHO updated the guidelines as a part of the World Health Association Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030, says these physical activity recommendations are “particularly timely amidst the COVID pandemic as group exercise, gyms, and team sports have been disrupted, and more people are working from home,” adding that this is a key time to “highlight the importance of exercise for health and well-being and to encourage people to make it a lifestyle priority.”
With a focus on reducing sedentary behaviors, the WHO guidelines acknowledge that “doing some physical activity is better than doing none” and “will bring benefits to health.”
Shybut says that shift in focus from “exercise” or “working out” to “more on overall physical activity and active lifestyle is important.” He adds that splitting up exercise throughout the day and finding “small windows of time to do high-intensity intervals, like this seven-minute workout” from the New York Times, add up.
Here’s a look at the updated guidelines:
5-17 years old (including those living with a disability): Children and teens should do at least an average of 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (mostly aerobic) over the course of a week. Vigorous-intensity aerobic activities, as well as exercises that strengthen muscle and bones, should be performed at least 3 days a week.
18-64 years old (including those living with chronic conditions or disabilities): The updated guidelines for adults now recommend a range of 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity throughout the week. That’s a slight change from the 2010 guidelines, which only recommended a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week. In addition, adults should also do muscle-strengthening exercises at moderate or greater intensity that work all of the major muscle groups two or more days a week.
The new guidelines also state that any amount of exercise now counts toward these recommendations, “reflecting new evidence to support the value of total physical activity volume, regardless of bout length.” This is a change from the 2010 guidelines, which required bouts of at least 10 minutes of exercise at a time.
65 and older (including those living with chronic conditions or disabilities): Physical activities for older adults should include a variety of exercises that focus on functional balance and strength training at moderate or greater intensity on three or more days a week. These types of exercises can help prevent falls and their related injuries, as well as reductions in functional ability and bone health, according to the guidelines.
This recommendation of physical activity for all older adults is a change from the 2010 guideline, which primarily focused on older adults with poor mobility.
Pregnant and postpartum women: There are several benefits for pregnant and postpartum women who remain physically active, including “reduced risk of pre-eclampsia, gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, excessive gestational weight gain, delivery complications and postpartum depression and no increase in risk of stillbirth, [and] newborn complications or adverse effects on birth weight.”
The guidelines recommend that pregnant and postpartum women without contraindications spend at least 150 minutes doing moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week, including some muscle-strengthening activities. The guidelines also note that gentle stretching may be helpful.
Read more from Yahoo Life:
How at-home workouts have transformed the fitness industry during the coronavirus pandemic
The U.S. divorce rate is the lowest it has been in 50 years, according to Census data
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