Adopt an active lifestyle
Adults should ensure at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or at least 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week, or better yet, an equivalent combination of both moderate and high-intensity activity, with the equivalent amount of exercise spread out over several days a week.
Children and adolescents should get at least one hour of moderate-intensity exercise or high-intensity exercise per day, with high-intensity exercise at least three days per week.
Limit sedentary behaviors such as sitting, lying down, watching TV, or other forms of screen-based entertainment.
Do some exercise above and beyond the norm, no matter what the intensity, for health benefits.
Benefits of Exercise
Exercise may reduce the incidence of certain cancers, including breast, colon, endometrial and advanced prostate cancers, especially pancreatic cancer.2 69 94 95 Although the evidence for other cancers is limited, a relationship may exist. Different types of exercise can affect the development of cancer.96 Regular exercise can help maintain a healthy weight by balancing energy intake with energy expenditure and may help prevent the development of certain cancers through direct and indirect effects, including regulation of sex hormones, insulin and prostaglandins, with multiple benefits to the immune system.97 98 An active lifestyle can reduce the incidence of certain chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and hypertension.20
Table 2 BMI table for adults
Table 3 Examples of moderate-intensity and high-intensity exercise
Moderate intensity exercise
High-intensity exercise
Exercise and leisure
Walking, dancing, leisurely biking, skating and rollerblading, horseback riding, rowing, yoga
Jogging or running, fast cycling, circuit weight training, swimming, jumping rope, aerobic dance, martial arts
Sports
Skiing, golf, volleyball, softball, baseball, badminton, tennis doubles
Cross-country skiing, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, tennis singles, squash, basketball
Housekeeping
Weeding, yard and garden maintenance
Ditch digging, hauling, masonry, carpentry
Professional activities
Walking and lifting weights as part of the job (storage work, farm work, car or machine maintenance)
Heavy physical work (forestry, construction, firefighting)
Types of exercise
Habitual activities are the most basic exercises that need to be done in daily life. These include movements at work (e.g., walking from the parking lot to the office) and at home (e.g., climbing stairs), but also activities of daily living (e.g., dressing and bathing). Habitual activities are all typically low-intensity and time-consuming exercises. Purposeful activities are those that are in addition to the usual activities. These activities are usually planned and performed during leisure time and are considered regular sports or fitness time, such as cycling or running. Other purposeful activities may involve more purposeful activities in life, allowing this lifestyle choice to complement or replace other daily activities, such as walking instead of public transportation or bicycling instead of driving. Habitual and purposeful activities are also graded according to intensity.99 Low-intensity activities include housework, shopping, and gardening. Moderate-intensity activities are those that require the same effort as walking at a brisk pace.100 High-intensity activities rely on large muscle groups and can cause shortness of breath and a significant increase in heart rate accompanied by sweating.100 Selected examples of moderate- and high-intensity activities are shown in Table 3.
Recommended exercise levels
The 2008 U.S. exercise guidelines recommend that adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or at least 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise, or an equivalent combination of both moderate- and high-intensity activity, each week, in addition to activities of daily living.20 The level of physical activity has been shown to have significant health benefits, including reduced rates of premature death20 85 and reduced incidence and mortality from various cancers. incidence and mortality.
Evidence suggests that high levels of exercise may significantly reduce cancer risk. Although the optimal intensity, duration and frequency of exercise to reduce cancer risk is not known, it is likely that close to and over 300 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or 150 minutes of high intensity exercise per week provides an additional cancer-fighting safeguard for the body. Evidence that physical activity is most protective when done at one time or in increments throughout the day is limited, but it is reasonable to assume that the physical benefits of each individual 20 to 30 minutes of exercise can be cumulative.
Research suggests that 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week can also help control weight gain and obesity.19 By helping to control weight and avoid weight gain, these levels of exercise may have an indirect effect on reducing the risk of obesity-related cancers.101-103 In addition to the effect on weight, physical activity also appears to have a direct effect on reducing colon, breast, endometrial, and advanced prostate cancers. have a direct effect, even if exercise is only started from the latter half of life.94 95 People who already exercise for at least 150 minutes per week should strive to increase to 300 minutes per week of moderate or higher intensity physical activity.
For people who are inactive or new to physical activity, participating in activity levels below the recommended minimum is still beneficial to health. Gradually increasing the amount of physical activity is highly beneficial for cardiovascular104 105. Having achieved a purposeful level of activity, increasing the intensity of physical activity can further improve the health of those who are able and willing to increase it. Most children and young adults are able to safely perform moderate and/or high intensity exercise without consulting a physician. However, men aged 40 and older, women aged 50 and older, and people with chronic diseases or existing cardiovascular risk factors should consult their physicians before beginning high-intensity activities. Warm-up and relaxation exercises before and after exercise can reduce musculoskeletal injuries and muscle soreness. Stretching as part of a relaxation activity can increase flexibility and range of motion.
Physical activity plays a very important role in the health and development of children and adolescents and has important physical and mental health effects, as well as causing good social effects.19 26 106 Because one of the best predictors of physical activity performed by adults is the level of physical activity during childhood and adolescence, and because physical activity has a key role in weight maintenance, children and adolescents to engage in at least one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day, including at least three days per week of vigorous activity.20 Activities should be developmentally appropriate, enjoyable, and varied106 and include physical education and fitness activities at school, at home, and in the community.107 Because children and adolescents spend a significant portion of their time in school, the effectiveness of regular, high-quality physical education programs are important for their effectiveness and are also used as a way to increase physical activity among young people. These programs can teach them knowledge and skills, while also providing them with opportunities and experiences to develop a love of physical activity.107 To help achieve athletic goals, schools should provide children with daily physical education programs and breaks, while at home they should reduce “screen time” (e.g., watching television, playing video games or social activities on the computer and similar activities).
The benefits of physical activity are the prevention of cancer and some chronic diseases that accumulate slowly over the course of life.8 Therefore, while it is important to begin a healthy and active lifestyle during childhood or early life, adopting a healthy and active lifestyle and increasing the intensity level of exercise at any stage of life is also beneficial to health and may reduce the risk of certain cancers. Adopting a healthy and active lifestyle involves some thoughtful decisions to change sedentary behavior into active habits. To strengthen the ability of individuals to adopt a more active lifestyle, both communities and individuals are encouraged to implement changes that promote healthy lifestyles.
Limiting sedentary time
The benefits of physical activity for weight control, prevention of cancer and other diseases, and reduction in overall mortality have been recognized for a long time, and there is growing evidence that sedentary time, independent of physical activity level, increases the likelihood of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, various cancers, and also affects overall mortality.38 108-110 Lifestyle changes and technological advances have led to a significant reduction in work activity has been greatly reduced, as more time is spent on television, computers, and other screens, allowing more time to be spent at the workplace, in transportation, and at home, resulting in lower total daily energy consumption. Limiting the amount of time spent on sedentary behavior can be achieved by reducing screen time and other recommendations listed in Table 4, thereby maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of breast, colon, endometrial, and other cancer incidence111.
Table 4 Ways to reduce sedentary behavior
Limit time spent watching television and other forms of screen-based entertainment
Riding a stationary bike or running on a treadmill while watching TV
Climb stairs instead of taking the elevator
Walking or biking to destinations if possible
Exercise at lunchtime with colleagues, family or friends
Take a break from work to do a stretch or brisk walk
Walk instead of sending emails to colleagues to communicate
Go dancing with your spouse or friends
Plan a non-driving vacation trip
Increase the number of walks you do each day by wearing pedometer skates
Join an exercise team