ORLANDO, Fl – Most Americans don’t get enough exercise. In fact, data shows just one in four people get the recommended amount of exercise each day.
Most say they just don’t have enough time, but that’s not necessarily the case. The CDC found that Americans have an average of five hours of free time a day.
A new study showed that if you took just a sliver of that amount of time and focused on your fitness, it could make a significant difference in your health.
If you want to become more fit, there’s good news. You don’t have to go to extreme measures to see health benefits. In fact, a little bit of physical activity goes a long way.
A new study that included data on more than 30 million adults found that just 11 minutes of daily physical activity, which is roughly half the recommended amount, makes a big difference in health outcomes. The researchers concluded that 11 minutes a day could lower the risk of heart disease by 17%, cancer by 7%, and early death by 23%.
The type of aerobic activity that produced the benefits was described as moderate to vigorous intensity.
Moderate intensity usually means you can talk but not sing during the activity, vigorous intensity means you can’t carry on a conversation.
A couple of good aerobic exercise options include bike riding, walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, running, and playing tennis. Only 11 minutes a day could be all you need to improve your health.
Current guidelines suggest that adults get 150 minutes of physical activity a week, which equals about 22 minutes a day. While this amount is still thought to be beneficial, the new study reveals that spending even half the time exercising can also boost your health.