Exercise, for quality of life and depression managment

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The biggest review in a decade into how much exercise people need has found they should be doing at least 30 minutes a day but would be better off doing an hour, including weight training and push-ups at least twice a week.

New physical activity guidelines released by the US Department of Health and Human Services this week have backed the message of 30 minutes a day for adults and 60 minutes a day for children but said research suggested people should aim for even more to keep their muscles and bones in good shape.

For extra benefits, adults should do 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise such as brisk walking, cycling or water aerobics five days a week and include muscle-strengthening activities such as weight-training or heavy gardening at least two days a week.

Children should also be doing muscle-strengthening exercises, including tug-of-war as well as bone strengthening activities such as running and skipping, three times a week.

The global review said that exercise levels needed boosting to address concerns about rates of heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and depression.

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Heart Foundation exercise expert Trevor Shilton, who advised on the new recommendations, said they were consistent with those in Australia but gave new weight to the concept that “more was better” and that there were additional health benefits from doing more moderate to vigorous physical activity.

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He said there was very strong evidence supporting the message that adults needed to do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day and children twice that.

“We know that if people do that level of physical activity you cut your risk of heart disease by as much as half and you cut your risk of bowel cancer by a quarter and breast cancer by 12 per cent and you improve your mental health,” Mr Shilton said.

“If this was a drug we could make a lot of money from it because what else can you take once a day that gives you these sorts of benefits with no side effects.”

Mr Shilton said 59 per cent of WA adults were meeting the 30 minutes a day guidelines and for the four in 10 people who did little or no exercise, doing any was better than none.

But activities related to body strengthening and balance were becoming increasingly important in the context of an aging community where quality of life and preventing falls were key issues.

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