Exercise stimuli of up to 2 minutes with relative intensity may be sufficient to keep the body active and ward off disease
Go up and down stairs, walk around the block around your house or office, jump ropes. Short periods of relatively intense physical exercise, separated by hourly intervals, appear to be a very promising strategy for reducing a sedentary lifestyle and improving overall health.
“‘Exercise snacks’ can be very useful for people who are overweight, obese and suffer from chronic diseases resulting from fat accumulation, such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension, for example, and who have difficulty following a regular exercise program,” comments Ricardo Barroso, endocrinologist and member of the board of directors of the SBEM-SP (Brazilian Society of Regional Endocrinology and Metabology of São Paulo).
The World Health Organization recommends 150 and 300 minutes of physical exercise per week. However, for those who cannot achieve this goal, these brief stimuli appear as a practical and time-efficient alternative. “Everything indicates that these quick and intense exercises, lasting less than 2 minutes, may be more practicable than longer training sessions,” says the endocrinologist.
What physical exercise should you do?
The choice of type of exercise will depend on the age and physical condition of each person. In this sense the doctor gives two examples:
- A younger person working from home can do squats, burpees (squats followed by a jump), and jumping jacks, which are common exercises in physical education classes at school;
- An elderly person can simply sit down and get up from a chair without the help of their arms, performing 15, 20 or 30 repetitions, depending on their physical condition.
“The important thing is that the exercise generates intensity, increases the heart rate and leaves the person slightly breathless,” he says. Furthermore, the duration must be sufficient to bring the heart rate to a very high point. For example, in a young person in their 30s or 40s, the heart rate can reach around 170 beats per minute.
Another good alternative, according to the endocrinologist, is to climb the stairs. “Climbing two, three or four floors and coming down calmly, as long as your orthopedic and knee conditions allow it, is also a simple, high-intensity exercise that generates very important metabolic and cardiovascular benefits,” he says.
Incentive
Ricardo points out that these small, short-term exercises can be the stimulus a person needs to break away from a sedentary lifestyle and start physical activity. It is worth remembering that, over time, it is possible to increase and increase the duration of these exercises. Starting with two, three or five minutes, according to the expert, is already valid. From then on, the recommendation is to gradually increase this time.
“One phrase I always tell my patients is that ‘done is better than perfect’. Just because you don’t have an hour or fifty minutes to exercise doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything. Doing five or ten minutes is so much better than nothing. do nothing Getting out of inertia is the most difficult and important step towards a more active and healthy life”, concludes the doctor.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
