How and how much you need to move to be healthy: advice from a coach from Harvard

If you do not like exercise, do not think that you are alone, it is comforting CNBC News. A sports medicine doctor from Harvard shared her secret on how to maintain a load without training. “Even as a sports medicine doctor and an advocate for physical activity, I understand why being more active can be challenging, especially with our busy schedules,” says Dr. Further in the article, we will retell the words of the doctor in the first person.

By putting daily movement first, you improve your health and quality of life. Regular exercise can help prevent health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, anxiety and depression, as well as many types of cancer.

On days when I don't feel like exercising, I practice a simple and time effective method to be more active without wasting time on a full workout: I add "fitness snacks" to my day.

What are "fitness snacks"

When I talk about fitness snacks, I don't mean pre-workout shakes or protein bars.

On the subject: Earn money while walking: 6 apps that pay for steps

Fitness snacks are short bursts of activity that spread throughout the day, as opposed to one long workout. For example, instead of a 30-minute workout, you can choose to take several 5- or 10-minute breaks throughout the day.

One of the easiest ways to eat fitness snacks is walking. When I don't have time for a full workout, I walk around the area for 10 minutes or do a few laps around my house or office.

Sounds simple, but most people never take the time to do this. And it's not hard to use! Adding it to your calendar can be a motivation and a reminder. If I have to miss it, I make up by taking the stairs instead of the elevator that day, or by parking my the car away from the entrance to the grocery store.

For years, 10 steps has been the standard recommended daily step count, but a 2020 study showedthat you can get the same health benefits by reaching 7000 steps a day.

On average, most of us can comfortably walk 1000 steps in 10 minutes. It's probably faster than walking through the grocery store, but slower than if you were deliberately walking fast because you're running late.

I meet a lot of people who have no idea how active they are. So a good starting point is to download a free step counting app or buy a pedometer. Find out how many hours a day you sit and how much you walk, and then determine how much to increase the load.

The Benefits of "Fitness Snacks"

Fitness snacks, although bite-sized, still improve heart health, increase energy levels and help mentally recover before the end of the day.

Most importantly, they help break long-term sitting, which some researchers believe "silent killerdue to its negative effects on the heart, weight control and blood sugar control. 2018 study showed that sitting more than six hours a day is associated with a higher risk of early death.

In the end, any activity—even an increase in walking—is better than nothing. If you don't like the idea of ​​long and sweaty workouts, these fitness loads may be easier to fit into your daily routine.

How much exercise should you aim for overall

Ideally, your weekly fitness snacks should match physical activity guidelines for Americans: 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week.

Any activity in which "breathing faster than usual" is considered a moderate-intensity activity, including housework and yard work like sweeping floors and raking leaves, according to the guidelines.

Here are a few things you can do with short increments:

• walks;
• a ride on the bicycle;
• jumping rope;
• climbing stairs in your home;
• physical exercises (for example, push-ups, plank, squats);
• yoga;
• taijiquan;
• dancing.

Gradually increasing the time and intensity of activity will help reduce the risk of injury, so when incorporating a new type of fitness snack into your routine, start slowly and start with small time increments.

Also, consider that incorporating multiple forms of activity—aerobic, strength, and flexibility exercises—into your fitness program can prevent overuse injuries and provide the widest range of benefits.