"10,000 steps a day is what you should be walking". This is the common assumption about the way to achieve and maintain a good fitness level. But is leisurely walking really enough to maintain a good fitness level, or should you do more to achieve it?
This question was the subject of research by Matthew Nayor and his colleagues, who collaborated in 2021 to release a study on physical activity and fitness in society. They wanted to find out what exercise intensity increased fitness the most.
To do this, they recruited 2070 subjects between the age of 45 and 63. As a baseline measurement to prepare for the study, participants were asked to carry an accelerometer for one week, which measured their activity. It recorded how much time they spent sitting, how many steps they took during the day, and the total amount of time they took for moderate, active exercise.
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) was performed on the subjects both before, during and after the study, with measurements that could be compared. Here, participants rode a cycle ergometer while maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) was measured. The training intensities were set differently, with moderate and high-intensity training. Data on oxygen content and cardiovascular function were collected, which could then be used to classify physical fitness.
It turned out that training units with moderate intensity at regular intervals have the best effect on physical fitness. Approximately 156 minutes per week could be established as a guideline for this. These seemed to be sufficient and effective enough to maintain fitness levels or even increase them in the long term. The study's researchers also found that this intensity and regularity of exercise can compensate for long periods of sitting and too little movement throughout the day. In this way, diseases can be prevented, weight can be maintained as well as fitness can be preserved.
Thus, according to the latest research, in order to work on one's fitness, it is not mandatory to spend 2 hours in the gym every day. A regular fitness routine with moderate intensity is enough to do something good for yourself and your body and maintain fitness.
Citation
- Nayor M, Chernofsky A, Spartano NL, Tanguay M, Blodgett JB, Murthy VL, Malhotra R, Houstis NE, Velagaleti RS, Murabito JM, Larson MG, Vasan RS, Shah RV, Lewis GD. Physical activity and fitness in the community: the Framingham Heart Study. Eur Heart J. 2021 Nov 21;42(44):4565-4575. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehab580. PMID: 34436560; PMCID: PMC8633734.