Get Moving

By Donald B. Ardell

Recent research suggests what everyone knows, namely, Americans engage in too little exercise, compounded by the fact that what little they do undertake is insufficient to do much good. Specifically, the level of exercise engaged in by most is not enough to reduce the risk of heart disease or to boost the level of life quality. Not a good situation–the Surgeon General should insist on having labels attached to sneakers warning that too little utilization of the product can be hazardous to health.

Most surveys consistently indicate that about 25 percent of citizens engage in no physical activity and, of the rest, less than half exercise with enough regularity and intensity to protect their hearts, let alone waistlines and fitness levels. Put another way, 75 percent of all Americans are either sedentary or getting less exercise than is necessary for good health. No wonder the medical system keeps growing!

Guidelines are available on the levels of exercise considered sufficient for lowering varied disease risks, such as risks of heart disease and heart attack, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes. The American Heart Association, for example, offers such information at no charge as a public service. While the positive rewards of vigorous exercise are not emphasized enough by the AHA, it is clear that following these recommended levels of activity will help in many positive ways. For example, such levels of exercise will strengthen muscles and bones, boost energy, facilitate weight control and promote similar attractive outcomes more appealing, it seems to me, than simply lowering the chances of something awful NOT happening in the future (i.e., having your heart attack you!).

A University of Florida study was part of a four-year "walking project" sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute designed to assess how often and how hard people should exercise to receive the greatest cardiovascular benefits.

One curious finding from this project is that many people don’t realize how little activity they are getting or, put another way, they overestimate what they think they get. In the University of Florida study, participants were given physical examinations and stress tests, asked to exercise and, after a week, to recall the amount and level of their daily activity. When the reported information was compared with data taken from heart rate monitors and activity logs completed by the participants, the investigators found that only 15 percent of people reached the recommended moderate intensity levels. In fact, while only 11 percent reported exercising at the hard intensity level, the heart rate monitors revealed that fewer than 2 percent reached that level.

The lead investigator concluded "we must use caution in interpreting what sedentary adults tell us about their exercise habits, since they commonly overestimate the intensity of moderate activity." The wider conclusion is that Americans need to use less caution in the frequency and intensity of the exercise they actually perform, for if they fail to step it up, they won’t last as long as they otherwise could or have nearly as much fun.

The Florida study concluded with a recommendation that people should engage in intensity levels that increase their metabolism to six times their energy consumption during rest and do so four times a week for 30 minutes to one hour. They defined "moderate intensity" as being the equivalent of a brisk walk, whereas "hard intensity" was defined as a level equivalent to jogging.

All the best. Stay well, work out and look on the bright side of life.