The third group was not completely sedentary and did some exercise but not as much as the second group. Although the amount of exercise in the conditioned exercisers was not excessive, they had only half the chance of dying that the sedentary group had. Even the occasional exercisers lived longer. They had only two thirds the chance of dying that the sedentary group had. The general recommendation is that people exercise 20- 30 minutes or more at least 4 to 5 days a week.
Some days off are important, especially when beginning the exercise program.
Shorter sessions multiple times a day can be used in place of one 30 minute session and can easily be incorporated into the daily routine. For example, people should try climbing stairs at work rather than taking the elevator. The mainstay of activity for cardiovascular health and weight loss are aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, jogging, bicycling, swimming, racket sports, aerobics classes, skiing, rowing and dancing. They should be done at an intensity level strong enough to result in breathing hard and an elevated heart rate, but not so hard that it is difficult to speak while doing them. The International Task Force for Prevention of Coronay Heart Disease offers a helpful heart rate table .