Personal Health; Gaining health benefits without working up a sweat

Jane E. Brody
The New York Times. (Feb. 8, 1995): News: From World History In Context.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 1995 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com

Full Text:

AN important health message was delivered last week to the many millions of
Americans who have yet to make even moderate physical activity a regular feature of
their lives. The message from a prestigious group of experts in preventive medicine and
exercise physiology was this: you don't have to become a jock or a fitness nut, you don't
have to exercise vigorously three times a week for 20 minutes at a time and you don't
have to build muscles a la Arnold Schwarzenegger to reap major health benefits from
regular physical activity.

All you have to do, these experts concluded, is to incorporate a total of about 30
minutes a day of moderate activity into your routines. That means actions like taking
stairs instead of elevators and escalators, walking short distances instead of driving
door to door, gardening, raking leaves, doing housework, dancing, playing actively with
children or pets, riding a stationary bicycle while watching the evening news, playing
golf without a cart or doing any other activities at the intensity of a brisk walk for
however long you choose -- as long as you log a total of 30 minutes a day. Why New
Guidelines?

To those who have assiduously pursued the fitness gospel of exercising three or more
times a week for 20 or more minutes at a time at a level that gets the heart beating at a
rate of 60 to 90 percent of its maximum, the new guidelines may sound like heresy or at
least a capitulation to a basically sedentary society that has so far largely resisted the
exhortations to work up a sweat.

But several basic facts and an accumulation of recent research findings prompted the
nation's fitness leaders to rethink the message that they have been broadcasting to
Americans for more than two decades. Probably the most important one is that despite
widely publicized evidence for the physical and mental benefits of regular exercise and
the public's apparent acceptance of the importance of physical activity, "millions of U.S.
adults remain essentially sedentary," the experts wrote in The Journal of the American
Medical Association.

The 20-member panel of experts was convened by the Federal Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine, which endorsed
the panel's conclusions.

There are many reasons for the failure of Americans to put their stated beliefs about the
benefits of exercise into practice. Common excuses include a lack of time; a lack of
affordable, accessible or safe exercise areas; scheduling difficulties; injury or other
physical limitations; bad weather; a dislike of vigorous activity and a lack of confidence
in one's physical abilities.

"Participation in regular physical activity gradually increased during the 1960's, 1970's
and early 1980's, but seems to have plateaued in recent years," the experts said. The
majority of American adults now get little or no physical activity of a kind that could
promote their health. This lack of regular activity has been cited as responsible for as
many as 250,000 deaths a year in this country, or 12 percent of total mortality.

Large, long-term studies by Dr. Ralph Paffenbarger, now at the University of California
at Berkeley, and Dr. Steven N. Blair of the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in
Dallas showed that habitual inactivity and low levels of physical fitness were associated
with a marked increase in death rates from all causes and especially from heart
disease.

Studies have shown that the risk of developing heart disease associated with a
sedentary life is comparable to the hazards of high cholesterol, high blood pressure or
cigarette smoking. Furthermore, Dr. Paffenbarger's research showed that people who
increased their activity level in midlife reduced their chances of an early death.

Another major motivation for the new advice is an accumulation of study findings that all
point to substantial protective health benefits that can be achieved through moderate
activity pursued for varying intervals throughout the day. "Intermittent activity confers
substantial benefits," the experts said.

In other words, it appears that many if not most of the benefits associated with physical
fitness are really the result of physical activity. The distinction is not trivial. Fitness refers
to a condition of being able to perform demanding activities -- like climbing stairs,
walking uphill or carrying heavy packages -- without getting out of breath or becoming
unduly fatigued.

Any amount of physical activity can increase a person's level of fitness, and if activity is
pursued often and vigorously, a person can become optimally fit, which the experts say
will almost certainly confer additional health benefits. But, they added, studies strongly
indicate that activity itself, not necessarily optimal fitness, is the main protector in
lowering the risk of developing a host of chronic health problems, including coronary
heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, colon cancer, anxiety and
depression.

The panel pointed to mounting evidence indicating that "the health benefits of physical
activity are linked principally to the total amount of activity performed" and that the
amount of activity "is more important than the specific manner in which the activity is
performed."

The panel concluded, "An active life style does not require a regimented, vigorous
exercise program. Instead, small changes that increase daily physical activity will
enable individuals to reduce their risk of chronic disease and may contribute to
enhanced quality of life." Getting Moving

You can increase your level of activity without having to adopt a regimented program or
invest chunks of time or spend money. It takes but 10 minutes to walk half a mile and
half that time to cover the same distance by bicycle. The possibilities are endless.
Consider riding a bicycle all or part way to work or to run errands around the
neighborhood. Do calisthenics, pedal a stationary cycle or work out on a ski machine
while watching television.

Chop food and mix dough by hand instead of throwing everything into a food processor.
Push a power mower instead of using a riding mower. Carry your clubs around the golf
course. Use a hand saw to cut up wood for the fireplace. Shovel snow and rake leaves
instead of blowing them off the walk with a machine. Do some or all of your own
gardening and yard work. Play ball with the children. And walk: up stairs, to stores, to
work, to social engagements, wherever and whenever it is possible and safe to walk.

CAPTION(S):

Drawing.

By Jane E. Brody

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)

Brody, Jane E. "Personal Health; Gaining health benefits without working up a

sweat." New York Times, 8 Feb. 1995. World History In Context,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=elm35681&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA155
506440&it=r&asid=432a4779db1621d097a142828a8c9969. Accessed 16 Apr.
 2017.

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