There's something wrong with the exercise picture. Despite convincing evidence that 30 minutes of daily exercise adds years to life and decreases heart disease, colon cancer, depression, and diabetes, the same percentage of Americans exercise today as did 10 years ago. And children are exercising less. One barrier to exercise is the mistaken belief that one needs to exercise strenuously and continuously for 30 minutes to achieve health benefits.
Positive effects can come from shorter periods of moderate activity.
Dunnagan has devoted most of the past 17 years to promoting the health benefits of exercise. More and more research shows that moderate activities such as walking, household work, and yard work offer health benefits equal to those of a strenuous workout. Both studies compared people who attended a structured aerobic exercise group with those who accumulated 30 minutes or more of physical activity most days of the week. As part of their daily routine, the latter group incorporated activities such as brisk walks, gardening, and mowing the lawn, often in short bouts. Both the strenuous and moderate exercise had similar effects on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and blood pressure.