Guidelines on physical activity recommendations for adults emphasize that “Adults should move more and sit less throughout the day and some activity is better than none”. The American Medical Association highlights the recommendations for intensity, time, and type of physical activity required to obtain optimum health benefits (Graphic 1). This recent report published in “JAMA” summarizes the findings of studies and means to achieve health benefits for those who are unable to achieve the recommended goals of physical activity and serves as an important public health message.
The health benefits of daily physical activity have been adequately documented in numerous large clinical studies (Table 1). What is more important is that performing physical activities at lower levels or lesser duration also carries health benefits! Also, the recommended level of physical activity can be accumulated over fewer sessions rather spread over the entire week for accruing the health benefits (Table 1).
Clinical implication: Though daily physical activity and muscle strengthening activities as recommended in guidelines are important for health benefits, this goal is many a times not achieved in everyday life. Physical activity is particularly important for older people and those with chronic conditions or disabilities. Studies have shown that even engaging in moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity physical activity for lesser duration is also associated with health benefits. Also, the flexibility with which the physical activity goals can be accumulated(over fewer sessions than spreading over the entire week) to achieve these health benefits is an important take-away for those individuals who have difficulty in achieving the daily physical activity goals. The recommendations emphasize that every minute counts, especially for those who cannot achieve the goal of 150 min/week.
(Source: Katzmarzyk PT, Jakicic JM. Physical Activity for Health-Every Minute Counts. JAMA. 2023; 330(3): 213-14.)