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I know exercise is good for me. I know it's important for my health and happiness and that it's necessary for general fitness. That part's easy - we hear about how we should exercise more all the time.

What I didn't realize was how being inactive is really detrimental to the brain and body. I didn't understand all of the specific ways regular activity can be beneficial, either.

With a little digging around, I found some research that made me realize there's much more to exercising than just getting fit.

Inactivity changes our brain structure - literally

Firstly, the bad news. If you're living a sedentary lifestyle, which more of us are prone to doing as technology takes away physical barriers for our work, you could be increasing your risk of heart disease. You may have even heard this before, since it's fairly common knowledge that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of heart disease - what's new in recent research are clues to exactly how this links might work.

Researchers at Wayne State University School of Medicine recently found that rats who were mostly sedentary for almost three months actually had physical changes in their brains, as a result. Some of the rats' neurons had extra branches - the parts that help them connect into the sympathetic nervous system, where a lot of our involuntary physical functions are regulated, like breathing. Having too many branches, as the brains of these rats did, could lead to overstimulation of the nervous system.

The researchers involved in this study looked at the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) section of the brain. As you can see in the diagram below, this is the part of our brain that runs the sympathetic nervous system and helps us to maintain a regular heart rate and avoid serious issues like hypertension.

One of the things regulated by the sympathetic nervous system is the constriction of blood vessels to maintain regular blood flow and keep our blood pressure from spiking. This is where the researchers see a potential insight from their study: if inactivity affects this funtion of the sympathetic nervous system, that could explain how it leads to high blood pressure and higher risk of heart disease.

Of course, rats aren't the same as humans, but the study does point out a possible direction for further research into the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle.

How exercise is beneficial - more so than ever

Supposing you're as concerned as I am about sitting around all day now, let's have a look at some of the actual benefits of being active, besides simply avoiding the troubles of inactivity.

1. Exercise improves mental health

Exercise has been shown to improve mental health, especially in those suffering from depression or anxiety disorders. So far, the most impressive results have occurred in people who are mostly sedentary and take up a regular exercise routine. Some studies have also found that a difference is more clear in women and in people over the age of forty.

The results have included better mood, better overall well-being and fewer (or lower) symptoms of depression or anxiety.

2. Exercise decreases disease risk

Across several studies, evidence has piled together to prove that regular physical activity is effective in preventing several different chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity and osteoporosis.

This graph illustrates how just moderate exercise is enough to decrease your risk of disease and premature death:

There has also been some research indicating that exercise can reduce the risk of strokes.

3. Regular exercise can improve sleep

A study of people with insomnia showed that after four months of regular exercise, the participants were sleeping and average of 45 minutes longer per night. The results didn't show that participants necessarily slept better the night after they exercised, but long-term, the study proved how effective regular activity can be in treating insomnia.

There have been quite a few studies into the benefits of exercise on sleep, many of them focusing on those with sleep complaints or disorders, who find regular exercise can improve overall sleep quality.

It's also been found to help those without sleep troubles, though. Regular exercisers are more likely to self-report better sleep over the same amount of time as those who have mostly sedentary lifestyles:

The National Sleep Foundation also found the less time spent sitting down was linked to better sleep quality:

High-intensity exercise has also been found to improve sleep efficiency, so if you're after a better night's sleep you might want to try a tough gym session rather than a gentle stroll.

4. Exercise can reduce stress and improve mood

Vigorous activity isn't just helpful for better sleep: it's also been found to correlate with lower anxiety levels. That particular review says that exercise isn't necessarily the cause of the lowered stress levels in participants, but it's certainly correlated, and based on the other benefits I've listed, I doubt regular activity would be a bad thing to try.

Another review showed that physical activity can not only reduce stress but improve overall mood, confidence and self-esteem.

Adding exercise to your daily routine

Convinced? Not sure where to start, though? Don't worry, I'm in the same boat.

To help us both get going with a little extra activity in our days, here are some easy ways to add regular bouts of exercise to your routine:

Track your daily activity: Tracking how much you move every day can be sobering when you first start, but it's a good way to understand how much you might overestimate your daily activity levels. Try an app like Human or Moves to help you understand how much time you spend up and about each day.

Set a reminder: Set up a reminder on your computer or phone to go off every hour or two if you need help getting away from the desk. Use the trigger to remind you to get up and walk around-down the street for a drink, around the block, or just around the room for a couple of minutes.

Build activity into your routine: Building a little bit of extra activity into your routine might be the most effective way to increase your exercise levels. Try getting off train one stop early, going out to your letterbox every day, or choosing a café for your morning coffee that requires a 10-minute walk.

Once you make something like this a habit, you'll probably find it's easier than you thought to get moving every day.

Start with just 7 minutes: Get into a routine of regular workouts with just 7 minutes per day. The science-based 7-minute workout is hard, but short:

Those seven minutes should be, in a word, unpleasant. The upside is, after seven minutes, you're done.

It's a proven way to exercise your body at home, with just a chair and a wall to work with. In fact, I'm going to go do this one right now. Wish me luck!

Do you have some other suggestions? What works for you to increase your exercise levels? Let us know in the comments.

If you liked this post, you might like The Science of Posture: Sitting up straight will make you happier, more confident and less risk-averse and How Stress Can Change the Size of Our Brains and What We Can Do to Lower it, Nature.com

Image credits: Huffington Post, Science-based Running, New York Times, Jason Ilagan

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Inactivity: Why Exercise is More Important than Ever

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I know exercise is good for me. I know it's important for my health and happiness and that it's necessary for general fitness. That part's easy - we hear about how we should exercise more all the time. What I didn't realize was how being inactive is really detrimental to the brain and body.

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Chart 2

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Please note: An erratum has been published for this report. To view the erratum, please click here.
Kathleen B. Watson, PhD ¹; Susan A. Carlson, PhD ¹; Janelle P. Gunn, MPH ¹; Deborah A. Galuska, PhD ¹; Ann O'Connor, MPA ¹; Kurt J. Greenlund, PhD ²; Janet E. Fulton, PhD ¹ ( View author affiliations)

View suggested citation

Summary
What is already known about this topic?
Physical activity has health benefits for persons of all ages. When adults are not able to meet guidelines because of factors such as age, chronic disease, or disabilities, they should engage in physical activity according to their abilities; adults who participate in any physical activity will gain some health benefits. Communities can provide supports that help everyone become more active by using recommended evidence-based strategies.
What is added by this report?
Overall, 27.5% of adults aged ≥50 years reported no physical activity outside of work during the past month. Inactivity prevalence significantly increased with increasing age, and was 25.4% among adults aged 50-64 years, 26.9% among adults aged 65-74 years, and 35.3% among adults aged ≥75 years. Inactivity prevalence was significantly higher among women than men, among Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks than among non-Hispanic whites, and among persons reporting ever having had one or more of seven selected chronic diseases than among those not reporting one. Inactivity prevalence significantly increased with decreasing levels of education and increasing body mass index.
What are the implications for public health practice?
Despite the many benefits of being physically active, approximately one in four adults aged ≥50 years are inactive. Communities can be designed and enhanced to make it safer and easier for persons of all ages and abilities to be physically active.

Physical activity can help delay, prevent, or manage many of the chronic diseases for which adults aged ≥50 years are at risk ( 1- 3). These diseases can impact the length and quality of life, as well as the long-term ability to live independently.* All adults aged ≥50 years, with or without chronic disease, gain health benefits by avoiding inactivity ( 2, 3). To examine the prevalence of inactivity by selected demographic characteristics and chronic disease status in mid-life and older adults, CDC analyzed data on adults aged ≥50 years from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Overall, 27.5% of adults aged ≥50 years reported no physical activity outside of work during the past month. Inactivity prevalence significantly increased with increasing age and was 25.4% among adults aged 50-64 years, 26.9% among those aged 65-74 years, and 35.3% among those aged ≥75 years. Inactivity prevalence was significantly higher among women than men, among Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks than among non-Hispanic whites, and among adults who reported ever having one or more of seven selected chronic diseases than among those not reporting one. Inactivity prevalence significantly increased with decreasing levels of education and increasing body mass index. To help adults with and without chronic disease start or maintain an active lifestyle, communities can implement evidence-based strategies, such as creating or enhancing access to places for physical activity, designing communities and streets to encourage physical activity, and offering programs that address specific barriers to physical activity.

BRFSS is a state-based, random-digit-dialed telephone survey of the noninstitutionalized U.S. civilian population aged ≥18 years. Data were collected among 304,129 adults aged ≥50 years from the 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC). The 2014 median landline and cellphone combined response rate was 47.0%, and ranged from 25.1% to 60.1%. †

Inactivity is defined as participating in no activity beyond baseline activities of daily living ( 2, 3). For this analysis, inactivity was operationalized as a "no" response to the question, "During the past month, other than your regular job, did you participate in any physical activities or exercises such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise?" In addition to self-reported sex, age, race/ethnicity, and highest level of education completed, adults reported weight and height. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated (weight [kg]/height [m] ²), and adults were classified as underweight or normal weight (<25.0 kg/m ²), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m ²) or obese (≥30 kg/m ²) ( 4). Questions about seven chronic diseases for which recommendations for physical activity in preventing or treatment of the disease are well-established were included in analyses ( 2, 3, 5). Respondents were defined as ever having one of these selected chronic diseases if they responded "yes" to a question asking if a doctor, nurse, or other health care professional ever told them they had the specific condition (stroke, coronary heart disease, arthritis, cancer [excluding skin cancer], diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and depressive disorder). Ever having coronary heart disease was defined as a "yes" response to myocardial infarction or coronary heart disease.

Data were analyzed by selected demographic characteristics and weighted to provide overall prevalence estimates with accompanying 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Linear contrasts and pairwise t tests were used to identify significant trends and differences by subgroups. Only differences and trends that reached statistical significance (p<0.05) were reported. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) after controlling for the potential confounding effects from the following characteristics: sex, age group, race/ethnicity, education level, and BMI category. By using the multiple logistic regression model, the prevalence in activity by each characteristic controlled for the effects from the remaining characteristics in which studies have shown to be associated with inactivity. Statistical software was used to account for the complex sampling design and to provide weighted estimates.

Among the 304,129 adults aged ≥50 years living in the 50 states and DC, data from 27,210 adults were excluded because of missing information, resulting in a final sample of 276,919 adults. Overall, 27.5% of U.S. adults aged ≥50 years, approximately 31 million persons, were inactive ( Table). Inactivity increased with increasing age for adults aged 50-64 years (25.4%), 65-74 years (26.9%), and ≥75 years (35.3%). The prevalence of inactivity was higher for women (29.4%) than men (25.5%), and for Hispanics (32.7%) and non-Hispanic blacks (33.1%) than non-Hispanic whites (26.2%) and those of other race/ethnicity (27.1%). The prevalence decreased from 44.1% to 14.2% with increasing levels of education and increased from 23.1% to 35.8% with increasing BMI category. Differences in prevalence of inactivity by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, education level, and BMI category remained after simultaneously adjusting for these characteristics.

By region, the prevalence of inactivity was highest in the South (30.1%), followed by the Midwest (28.4%) and Northeast (26.6%). The West (23.1%) had the lowest prevalence. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, differences in prevalence by region remained. Among the 50 states and DC, the prevalence ranged from 17.9% in Colorado to 38.8% in Arkansas ( Figure 1).

Among those who ever had one of the seven chronic diseases, the prevalence of inactivity was higher among those who ever had any of the diseases compared with those who did not (Table). The magnitude of the difference ranged from an aPR of 1.1 (CI = 1.1-1.2) for cancer to an aPR of 1.5 (CI = 1.5-1.6) for chronic obstructive lung disease. Overall, more adults reporting at least one chronic disease were inactive (31.9%) compared with those not reporting any (19.2%) ( Figure 2). The demographics-adjusted prevalence of inactivity among adults with at least one chronic disease was 40% higher (aPR = 1.4; CI = 1.3-1.4) compared with adults without a chronic disease. By age group, the prevalence of inactivity for adults with at least one chronic disease compared with those with no disease was 30.9% versus 18.1% for 50-64 years, 29.6% versus 19.2% for 65-74 years, and 37.3% versus 26.8% for ≥75 years (Figure 2).

Discussion

Approximately 28% of adults aged ≥50 years (31 million persons) were inactive. Inactivity increased with increasing age and BMI, and decreased with increasing levels of education. The prevalence of inactivity was higher among women than among men, and among Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks compared with non-Hispanic whites. The prevalence was 10%-50% higher among adults who reported having had one of seven specific chronic diseases than among those who reported not having it. The prevalence among the 50 states and DC ranged from 18% to 39%. Results of this analysis are consistent with findings from a national survey showing these differences by demographic characteristics § and by chronic disease status ( 6).

Older adults might be inactive for a number of reasons. Despite benefits of physical activity, it might be that some adults with chronic diseases become inactive because of the disease. However, according to 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans ( 2, 3), older adults and adults with chronic diseases or disabilities should try to engage in physical activity appropriate for their abilities. Among those with a chronic disease, physical activity can help lessen their condition's severity, manage the disease, or prevent or delay other chronic diseases. For example, among persons with arthritis, joint pain could be reduced through being more active; low impact activity is often recommended ( 2, 3).

Similar to persons with disabilities, older adults might want to be active but face barriers, such as limited places to be safely active in their community or not knowing how to be active given their physical limitations ( 7). Communities can provide supports that help everyone become more active by using recommended evidence-based strategies. ¶ These community strategies were recently highlighted in Step It Up! The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities** and complement existing recommendations and initiatives to help Americans become more physically active, such as Healthy People 2020, the National Prevention Strategy: America's Plan for Better Health and Wellness, Let's Move!, the Go4Life Campaign, the National Physical Activity Plan, and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safer People, Safer Streets Initiative. ††

Communities can be enhanced and designed to make it safe and easy for persons of all ages and abilities to be active. Community design can support physical activity, for example, by locating residences within short walking distance of destinations (e.g., stores) and building well-connected safe paths between destinations. Street design can support walking and enhance pedestrian safety through measures that improve safety and aesthetics, as well as addressing barriers for persons with limitations (e.g., using curb cuts). Currently, enhancing and designing communities to promote physical activity is supported in several federally funded programs. §§ For example, through the State Public Health Actions to Prevent and Control Diabetes, Heart Disease, Obesity and Associated Risk Factors and Promote School Health program, ¶¶ CDC works with state departments of health to increase physical activity by increasing the number of communities that have pedestrian and bike-friendly master transportation plans.

Creating or enhancing access to places for physical activity, combined with information to promote and encourage use of these places, is another recommended strategy to increase physical activity. Examples of such community locations include public parks, recreational facilities, senior centers, and malls. Programs, such as an organized mall walking program,*** can help enhance access and promote and encourage use of these locations.

Through campaigns and informational approaches, community groups and organizations can also provide access to evidence-based community programs to help adults start and continue to be physically active. Given higher levels of inactivity among persons with chronic conditions, it is important that organizations offer programs that address specific concerns these adults might have and barriers they might face. For example, the Arthritis Foundation's Walk With Ease program has been shown to reduce pain, increase balance and strength, and improve overall health through walking. ††† Health care professionals can play a role in promoting physical activity by counseling patients, writing prescriptions for physical activity, and possibly referring them to community programs or facilities where they can be active ( 8, 9). §§§

The findings in this report are subject to at least five limitations. First, BRFSS data are self-reported and subject to recall and social-desirability biases. This can result in an underestimate of physical inactivity ( 10). Second, BRFSS physical activity questions do not include occupational activities, and not considering a person's work hours might result in overestimates of physical inactivity. Third, the data are from noninstitutionalized adults and are not generalizable to the institutionalized population. Fourth, complete case analysis was used to handle missing data, which could result in an over- or underestimation of physical activity. Finally, the 2014 lowest state-level survey response rate was 25.1%, which can result in response bias. However, BRFSS data are weighted to adjust for nonresponse.

Approximately 28% of adults aged ≥50 years are inactive and are missing the opportunity to improve their health through physical activity. Communities can be designed and enhanced to make it safer and easier for persons of all ages and abilities to be physically active.

¹Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC; ² Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC.

References

1. US Department of Health and Human Services. 2008 physical activity guidelines for Americans. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2008.

2. US Department of Health and Human Services. Physical activity guidelines advisory committee report, 2008. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2008.

3. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Clinical guidelines on the identif&inodot;cation, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults: the evidence report. Bethesda MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; 1998.

4. Brawner CA, Churilla JR, Keteyian SJ. Prevalence of physical activity is lower among individuals with chronic disease. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2016;48:1062-7.

5. American College of Sports Medicine. Exercise is medicine. Healthcare providers' action guide. Indianapolis, IN: American College of Sports Medicine; 2014.

6. Lin JS, O'Connor EA, Evans CV, Senger CA, Rowland MG, Groom HC. Behavioral counseling to promote a healthy lifestyle for cardiovascular disease prevention in persons with cardiovascular risk factors: an evidence update for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Evidence Synthesis No. 113. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2014.

TABLE. Self-reported prevalence of inactivity among adults aged ≥50 years, by selected characteristic - Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2014*

Characteristic

Sample

Prevalence of inactivity

Unweighted sample size no. (%)

% prevalence† (95% CI)

aPR§ (95% CI)

Total
276,919 (100.0)

27.5 (27.2-27.9)

-

Sex

Age group (yrs)

Race/Ethnicity

Other ¶

12,447 (5.3)

27.1 (24.9-29.5)

1.1 (1.1-1.2)

Education

Body mass index** (kg/m²)

Region

Ever had the following chronic disease

Arthritis

Cancer§§

Coronary heart disease¶¶

COPD

Depressive disorder

Diabetes

Stroke

FIGURE 1. Prevalence of self-reported physical inactivity among adults aged =50 years - Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2014

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centers for disease control and prevention

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Physical Inactivity Among Adults Aged 50 Years and Older - United States, 2014

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Please note: An erratum has been published for this report. To view the erratum, please click here. Kathleen B. Watson, PhD 1; Susan A. Carlson, PhD 1; Janelle P. Gunn, MPH 1; Deborah A. Galuska, PhD 1; Ann O'Connor, MPA 1; Kurt J. Greenlund, PhD 2; Janet E.

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Reveal the topic

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Regular exercise has been shown to help boost energy levels and enhance your mood. It may also be associated with many other health benefits, including a reduced risk of chronic disease.

Exercise is defined as any movement that makes your muscles work and requires your body to burn calories.

There are many types of physical activity, including swimming, running, and walking, to name a few.

Being active has been shown to have many health benefits, both physically and mentally. It may even help you live longer.

Here are the top 10 ways regular exercise benefits your body and brain.

Exercise has been shown to improve your mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress.

The authors of a 2019 review found that 10-30 minutes of exercise is enough to improve your mood.

Exercise may increase brain sensitivity to serotonin and norepinephrine. These hormones relieve feelings of depression. It may also increase the production of endorphins, which help produce positive feelings and reduce the perception of pain.

Stopping to exercise may also affect your mood. A 2017 review found that active people who stopped exercising regularly experienced significant increases in symptoms of depression and anxiety, even after only a few weeks.

Inactivity may play a major factor in weight gain and obesity, which may lead to health complications. Exercise can help you manage your weight by helping with energy expenditure, also known as spending.

Your body spends energy in three ways:

digesting food

exercising

maintaining body functions, like your heartbeat and breathing

A reduced calorie intake may lower your metabolic rate, which can temporarily delay weight loss. However, regular exercise may your metabolic rate. This can burn more calories and help you manage your weight.

Combining aerobic exercise with resistance training may also maximize fat loss and muscle mass maintenance. This could help you manage weight, maintain lean muscle, and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Exercise plays a vital role in building and maintaining strong muscles and bones.

As people age, they tend to lose muscle mass, strength, and function. This leads to an increased risk of injury. Practicing regular physical activity is essential to reducing muscle loss and maintaining strength as you age.

Exercise also helps build bone density. The authors of a 2022 review found that regular exercise significantly improved bone density in the lumbar spine, neck, and hip bones. This may help prevent osteoporosis later in life.

Impact exercises like gymnastics, running, or soccer may help higher bone density than no-impact sports like swimming and cycling.

Exercise can help boost your energy levels while helping to reduce fatigue. This may help as a treatment method if you have certain health conditions, such as cancer.

Aerobic exercise boosts your cardiovascular system and improves lung health, which may help with energy levels.

Your heart pumps more blood as you move, delivering more oxygen to your working muscles. With regular exercise, your heart becomes more efficient at moving oxygen into your blood.

Over time, exercise results in less demand on your lungs. This is one of the reasons why you may find yourself getting less and less out of breath during exercise, according to the American Lung Association.

Regular physical activity is a in reducing your risk of chronic diseases, such as:

Your skin can be affected by the amount of oxidative stress in your body.

Oxidative stress occurs when your body's antioxidant defenses cannot completely repair the cell damage caused by compounds known as free radicals. This can damage the structure of the cells and negatively impact your skin.

Intense and exhaustive physical activity may contribute to oxidative damage. However, a 2018 review suggests that regular moderate exercise may actually help alleviate the stress caused by free radicals.

The authors of a 2021 review concluded that regular exercise may help delay the appearance of skin aging, prevent psoriasis, and improve venous leg ulcers.

Exercise can improve brain function and protect your memory and thinking skills.

To begin with, exercise increases your heart rate. This promotes the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. It can also stimulate the production of hormones that enhance the growth of brain cells.

For example, exercise has to cause the hippocampus to grow in size, which may help improve mental function. This is part of the brain that's vital for memory and learning.

Regular physical activity is important in older adults because it can help the physiological effects of aging in your brain. It may also help reduce changes in the brain that can contribute to conditions like Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Regular exercise can relax and sleep better.

It may help improve your sleep quality because the energy loss that occurs during exercise stimulates restorative processes during sleep.

Also, the increase in your body temperature during exercise may help it during sleep, which could promote better sleep.

A conducted over 4 months in people with chronic insomnia found that both stretching and resistance exercise helped improve sleep quality and duration while decreasing the amount of time it takes to fall asleep.

Chronic pain can be debilitating. For many years, the recommendation for treating chronic pain was rest and inactivity.

However, the authors of a 2021 review suggest that aerobic exercise may serve as a natural treatment option to provide pain relief and improve quality of life.

One way that exercise may help prevent or reduce chronic pain is because it increases your pain tolerance over time.

Exercise may also help you control pain associated with various health conditions, including:

chronic low back pain

fibromyalgia

chronic soft tissue shoulder disorder

Regular exercise may help improve your sex life.

For example, engaging in regular exercise can strengthen your heart, improve blood circulation, tone muscles, and enhance flexibility, all of which may help improve your sex life.

A 2018 review of 10 studies found that exercising for at least 160 minutes per week over a 6-month period could help improve erectile function in males.

Another 2018 review suggests that regular exercise may help improve sexual satisfaction, arousal, and well-being in females. Regular resistance training may also help increase sex drive.

Which exercise can you do every day?

It's important to let your body recover between intense resistance and cardiovascular exercise sessions. That said, there are some less intense exercises you can do every day to help you get to 300 minutes per week. These may include walking, cycling, dancing, and skateboarding.

What exercises are good for belly fat?

According to the British Heart Foundation, you can't target one specific area of fat to burn off. But, a consistent mixture of aerobic exercise, resistance training, and eating a well-balanced diet can help you burn fat all over your body. Some exercises include swimming, yoga, running, strength training, and rock climbing.

Exercise offers incredible benefits that can improve nearly every aspect of your health. Regular physical activity can increase the production of hormones that make you feel happier and help you sleep better.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends you aim for 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity throughout the week.

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity is anything that gets your heart beating faster, like walking, cycling, or swimming. Activities like running or participating in a fitness class count for vigorous intensity.

You can use weights, resistance bands, or your body weight to perform muscle-strengthening exercises.

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Exercise: The Top 10 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity

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Exercising regularly has many benefits for your body and brain. This article explores the top 10 benefits of regular exercise, all based on science.

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Analysis of data chart 1

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American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids

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Learn how much daily exercise or physical activity you need to stay healthy and what counts as moderate and vigorous intensity aerobic activity.

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Analysis of data chart 1

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Exercise experts measure activity in metabolic equivalents, or METs. One MET is defined as the energy it takes to sit quietly. For the average adult, this is about one calorie per every 2.2 pounds of body weight per hour; someone who weighs 160 pounds would burn approximately 70 calories an hour while sitting or sleeping.

Moderate-intensity activities are those that get you moving fast enough or strenuously enough to burn off three to six times as much energy per minute as you do when you are sitting quietly, or exercises that clock in at 3 to 6 METs. Vigorous-intensity activities burn more than 6 METs.

One limitation to this way of measuring exercise intensity is that it does not consider the fact that some people have a higher level of fitness than others. Thus, walking at 3 to 4 miles-per-hour is considered to require 4 METs and to be a moderate-intensity activity, regardless of who is doing the activitya young marathon runner or a 90-year-old grandmother. As you might imagine, a brisk walk would likely be an easy activity for the marathon runner, but a very hard activity for the grandmother.

This table gives examples of light-, moderate-, and vigorous-intensity activity for healthy adults.
Reproduced with permission from The Nutrition Source

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Examples of Moderate and Vigorous Physical Activity

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Exercise experts measure activity in metabolic equivalents, or METs. One MET is defined as the energy it takes to sit quietly. For the average adult, this is about one calorie per every 2.2 pounds of body weight per hour; someone who weighs 160 pounds would burn approximately 70 calories an hour while sitting or sleeping.

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-Intro
-Body
-Conclusion

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Reveal the topic

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Key facts

Regular physical activity provides significant physical and mental health benefits.

In adults, physical activity contributes to prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, enhances brain health, and can improve overall well-being.

In children and adolescents, physical activity promotes bone health, encourages healthy growth and development of muscle, and improves motor and cognitive development.

31% of adults and 80% of adolescents do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity.

The global target set to reduce levels of physical inactivity in adults and adolescents is a 10% relative reduction by 2025 and 15% by 2030, from the 2010 baseline.

The global estimate of the cost of physical inactivity to public health care systems between 2020 and 2030 is about US$ 300 billion (approximately US$ 27 billion per year) if levels of physical inactivity are not reduced.

Overview

WHO defines physical activity as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. Physical activity refers to all movement including during leisure time, for transport to get to and from places, or as part of a person's work or domestic activities. Both moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity improve health. Popular ways to be active include walking, cycling, wheeling, sports, active recreation and play, and can be done at any level of skill and for enjoyment by everybody.

Physical activity is beneficial to health and well-being and conversely, physical inactivity increases risk for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and other poor health outcomes. Together, physical inactivity and sedentary behaviours are contributing to the rise in NCDs and placing a burden on healthcare systems.

Improving levels of physical activity will benefit health and well-being and contribute to attainment of global NCD targets and a number of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, this will require increased commitments and investments by Member States; innovation and contributions from non-state actors; cross sector coordination and collaboration; and ongoing guidance and monitoring from WHO.

Benefits of physical activity and risks of sedentary behaviour and inactivity

Physical inactivity is one of the leading risk factors for noncommunicable diseases mortality. People who are insufficiently active have a 20% to 30% increased risk of death compared to people who are sufficiently active. Regular physical activity is associated with:

in children and adolescents, improvedphysical fitness, cardiometabolic health, bone health, cognitive outcomes, mental health and reduced body fat;

in adults and older adults, reducedrisk of all-cause mortality, risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, incident hypertension, incident site-specific cancers, incident type-2 diabetes, and falls and improved mental health, cognitive health, sleep and measures of body fat; and

for pregnant and post-partum women, decreased risk of pre-eclampsia, gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, excessive gestational weight gain, delivery complications, postpartum depression and newborn complications. Physical activity has no adverse effects on birthweight or increased risk of stillbirth.

Sedentary behaviour is any period of low-energy expenditure while awake such as sitting, reclining or lying. Lives are becoming increasingly sedentary through the use of motorized transport and the increased use of screens for work, education and recreation. Evidence shows higher amounts of sedentary behaviour are associated with the following poor health outcomes:

in children and adolescents, increased adiposity, poorer cardiometabolic health, fitness, and behavioural conduct/pro-social behaviour, and reduced sleep duration; and

in adults, increasedall-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality and cancer mortality and incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer and type-2 diabetes.

How much physical activity is recommended?

The WHO Global guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour provide recommendations for children (age 5 and up), adolescents, adults, older adults, pregnant and post-partum women, and people living with chronic conditions and disabilities. The recommendations detail the amount of physical activity (frequency, intensity and duration) required to offer significant health benefits and to reduce health risks. The guidelines highlight that any amount of physical activity is better than none; all physical activity counts; all age groups should limit the amount of time being sedentary; and muscle strengthening benefits everyone.

The WHO Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age provide recommendations on the amount of time in a 24-hour day that young children, under 5 years of age, should spend being physically active or sleeping for their health and well-being, and the maximum recommended time these children should spend on screen-based sedentary activities or time restrained.

An infographic summarizes the current WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour for all age groups. WHO develops guidelines through an arduous process of reviewing scientific evidence and expert consultations. Preparations are already underway for the next guidelines, anticipated for publication in 2030.

Levels of physical inactivity globally

WHO regularly monitors trends in physical inactivity. A recent study (1) found that nearly one third (31%) of the world's adult population, 1.8 billion adults, are physically inactive. That is, they do not meet the global recommendations of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. This is an increase of 5 percentage points between 2010 and 2022. If this trend continues, the proportion of adults not meeting recommended levels of physical activity is projected to rise to 35% by 2030.

Globally, there are notable age and gender differences in levels of physical inactivity.

Women are less active than men by an average of 5 percentage points. This has not changed since 2000.

After 60 years of age physical inactivity levels increase in both men and women.

81% of adolescents (aged 11-17 years) were physically inactive (2).

Adolescent girls were less active than adolescent boys, with 85% vs. 78%, not meeting WHO guidelines.

Many different factors can determine how active people are and the overall levels of physical activity in different population groups. These factors can be related to the individual or wider social, cultural, environmental and economic determinants that influence access and opportunities to be active in safe and enjoyable ways.

How Member States can increase levels of physical activity

The WHO Global action plan on physical activity provides policy recommendations for countries and communities to promote physical activity and ensure everyone has more opportunities to be regularly active. Examples of these recommendations include policies that ensure access to walking, cycling and non-motorized transport; that increase physical activity opportunities in schools, workplaces, childcare centres and in healthcare service delivery; and that increase accessibility and availability of community sports and public open spaces.

Implementing effective policies to increase levels of physical activity requires a collective effort, coordinated across multiple government departments at all levels, including health, transport, education, employment, sport and recreation, and urban planning. It also demands national and local engagement from nongovernmental organizations, various sectors, stakeholders and disciplines to support the implementation of policies and solutions that are appropriate to a country's cultural and social environment. Priority should be given to policy actions that address disparities in levels of physical activity, promoting, enabling and encouraging physical activity for all.

WHO response

WHOsupports countries and stakeholders to implement the recommended actions by:

1. developing global policy guidance and guidelines, underpinned by latest evidence and consensus;

2. supporting countries to develop appropriate policies that promote physical activity and multisectoral collaborations;

3. conducting advocacy to raise awareness of the multiple benefits of increasing physical activity and support the development of economic analysis of the impact of increasing physical activity and return on investment of different policy interventions;

4. developing technical tools and training packages to help countries build capacity in the implementation of policy and programmes across key settings and innovations using digital platforms including through WHO Academy courses, multi-country workshops and other knowledge exchange activities;

5. convening, coordinating, and collaborating to strengthen partnerships across sectors and between policy makers, practitioners and researcher communities; and

6. undertaking global monitoring and reporting of progress on implementation of the Global action plan on physical activity, global levels of physical inactivity and progress towards a 15% relative reduction in the prevalence of physical inactivity by 2030.

WHOsupports countries and stakeholders to implement the recommended actions by developing global policy guidance and guidelines, underpinned by latest evidence and consensus, to help countries develop appropriate policies, investment cases and financing mechanisms.
References

1. Strain, T., Flaxman, S., et al. National, regional, and global trends in insufficient physical activity among adults from 2000 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 507 population-based surveys with 5·7 million participants. The Lancet Global Health (2024).

2. Guthold, R., Stevens, G., et al. Global trends in insufficient physical activity among adolescents: a pooled analysis of 298 population-based surveys with 1.6 million participants. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health Vol. 4 Iss. 1 (2019).

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WHO fact sheet on physical activity provides key facts and information on benefits, risks of inactivity, reasons for physical inactivity and how to increase physical activity, WHO response.

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Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence

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The primary purpose of this narrative review was to evaluate the current literature and to provide further insight into the role physical inactivity plays in the development of chronic disease and premature death. We confirm that there is irrefutable…

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Analysis of data chart 2

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Vigorous-intensity exercise-sometimes called high-intensity exercise-is a physical activity done with a large amount of effort, resulting in a substantially higher heart rate and rapid breathing. Your exertion would be considered hard to extremely hard, making it difficult to speak in full sentences. Activities like running, cycling, and singles tennis are usually classified as vigorous.

Measuring Exercise Intensity

Though you might have an idea when you hit a vigorous level, you can look to these specific markers to know for sure.

Talk test: The simplest way to determine if you're at a vigorous level of exercise is with a talk test. At vigorous intensity, you can speak only a few words at a time, not in full sentences.

MET and calories burned: The effort required for vigorous-intensity exercise is defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as greater than 6 metabolic equivalents (MET), burning more than 7 kilocalories per minute.﻿﻿ This is six times the energy cost of sitting quietly, 1 MET, which burns 1.2 kilocalories per minute.

Heart rate: Vigorous intensity is also defined by the AHA as exercise at a heart rate of 70% to 85% of a person's maximum heart rate.﻿﻿ This varies by age and fitness level, so you should use a heart rate zone chart or calculator to find this number for your age and gender.

Rate of perceived exertion (RPE): If you were to rate your effort on the Borg perceived exertion scale (6 being no exertion to 20 being maximal exertion), vigorous intensity is 15 to 19, the range you would rate subjectively as hard, very hard, or extremely hard, according to the AHA.

Benefits of Vigorous Physical Activity

There are plenty of reasons to take your workout up a notch. Engaging in vigorous physical activity can provide many health advantages.

Lower Risk of Chronic Disease

A lack of exercise can lead to a greater chance of developing a chronic disease such as coronary heart disease, osteoporosis, and various types of cancer. For example, a 2012 study followed up with more than 44,000 men aged 40 to 75 after 22 years and concluded that vigorous exercise was associated with a lower risk of chronic disease among participants.﻿﻿

Improved Brain Health

All exercise, but particularly vigorous workouts, amps up blood flow in the brain and oxygenates frontal areas of the brain. This has been shown among school-age students-those who partook in vigorous exercise received better grades﻿﻿﻿-as well as in older populations.

A 2017 review focusing on the link between exercise and Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease found that when people 70 to 80 years old logged 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week within the last five years, they have a 40% lower chance of developing Alzheimer's compared to sedentary individuals in their age group.﻿﻿

Improved Mood

It's no surprise that exercise can improve your mood, but a 2015 study found a significant link between vigorous exercise and fewer depressive symptoms among more than 12,000 participants, while moderate levels of activity and walking had no impact on depression.﻿﻿

Weight Loss

Various studies have shown that vigorous exercise can be an effective way to shed unwanted pounds, specifically by decreasing abdominal fat, improving glucose/insulin metabolism, and boosting cardiorespiratory fitness, especially when compared to moderate levels of activity.﻿﻿ Other studies have found similar results, including lower blood pressure and blood lipids in those who exercise vigorously.

Typical Vigorous-Intensity Physical Activities

Vigorous activity doesn't mean just high-intensity running or competitive sports. There are a wide variety of options depending on your preference:

Jogging or running

Racewalking

Hiking uphill

Cycling more than 10 miles per hour or steeply uphill

Swimming fast or lap swimming

Dancing, fast dancing, and step aerobics

Strength training

Heavy gardening with digging, hoeing

Shoveling heavy snow

Martial arts

Playing sports with lots of running such as basketball, hockey, soccer

Singles tennis

Court sports such as handball, racquetball, squash

How Much Vigorous Exercise Do You Need?

Health guidelines from the CDC, AHA, and other health authorities recommend the amount of moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise needed to maintain health and reduce health risks. Vigorous intensity exercise is recommended for 75 to 150 minutes per week and can be alternated with moderate-intensity exercise (at least 150 to 300 minutes per week) to achieve health risk reduction goals.﻿﻿

A Word From Verywell

These guidelines are the minimum for maintaining good health. You can further improve your fitness and reduce your risk of chronic disease and weight gain by working out more than the recommended amount.

Many activity monitors will estimate the time you spend in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity so you can be more assured that you're meeting the minimum recommendations. But also make sure not to overexert yourself, particularly if you're a beginner. Listen to your body and consult with your doctor if you have questions about adding more intensity to your workout regimen.

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How Vigorous Intensity Exercise Can Be the Best for Your Health

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Vigorous-intensity exercise-sometimes called high-intensity exercise-is a physical activity done with a large amount of effort, resulting in a substantially higher heart rate and rapid breathing. Your exertion would be considered hard to extremely hard, making it difficult to speak in full sentences. Activities like running, cycling, and singles tennis are usually classified as vigorous.

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Mental health: Definition, common disorders, early signs, and more

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Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being. We define mental health, explain different disorders, and assess potential treatments.