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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Everyone knows that we should move – be active 30 minutes a day is a common public health recommendation. But what does this message actually mean? Moderate exercise? Vigorous exercise? And, how do we know the difference between the two?
Federal guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise weekly. For the average person, this recommendation does not translate into practical daily advice. In scientific terms moderate intensity exercise is defined as an activity that requires 3 METs (metabolic equivalents of task). Or in plain English, an activity that uses up three times the amount of oxygen that would be consumed while sitting still. Vigorous exercise typically equals 6 METs.
To make things easier for people to understand, Researchers at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst are conducting a five-year CADENCE-Adults study. Their goal is to establish a relationship between walking cadence (steps per minute) and the intensity of exercise. They want to provide a simple tool to show people how hard they are working when they walk. You count your steps for 15 seconds, multiply that number by 4 to determine the number of steps you are walking in one minute. It is a simple tool.
When they tested adults, they found that 100 steps/minute equaled moderate exercise (3 METs); 130 steps/minute equaled vigorous exercise or 6 METs. They also found that when a person added 10 additional steps a minute it was roughly associated with the addition of 1 MET in intensity. Walking 110 steps/minute equaled 4 METs and 120 steps/minute equaled 5 METs. The transition between fast walking and running usually occurred at greater than 140 steps/minute.
What this research showed is that walking, for most adults, can easily achieve a daily dose of moderate exercise. In the research study, leg length, sex and body size did not affect the degree of exercise intensity achieved by the number of steps walked each minute. Encouraging people to walk is a low-cost, low-skill, achievable activity that can potentially improve health.
And, walking outside may add additional benefits. Forest bathing is popular in Japan – getting out into a green space regularly. You do not need a forest to benefit from going outdoors. In addition to forests, fields, parks and even street greenery are associated with improved health. Research published in Environmental Research showed that in countries where people were regularly exposed to green spaces there was a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, premature death, preterm births and sleep problems.
Athletes have long acknowledged that working out makes them feel good due to the release of endorphins that boost mood. Now there is evidence coming out of animal studies at Columbia University that exercise produces another hormone, irisin, that may improve memory and protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
Irisin is present in the brain’s hippocampus, the region critical for learning and memory. In people with Alzheimer’s, irisin levels are lower. Irisin protects the brain’s synapses which in turn preserves memory. Synapses are the junction between nerve cells where nerve impulses cross. If the synapse does not work, nerve messages are not transmitted. In the mice experiments, if irisin was disabled, synapses and memory were weakened. In mice who swam almost every day, they did not develop memory problems even when they got infusions of beta amyloid – the neuron-clogging, memory-robbing protein associated with Alzheimer’s. Exercise helped to protect the mice because irisin was released. This research suggests that encouraging exercise not only promotes overall health but protects brain function, too.
Modern life often avoids activity. A simple and powerful health message is just walk – often and a little faster than you normally would. Whenever possible take in a little nature while you walk – you’ll be healthier, happier and have a sharper memory. It’s worth the effort.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of 30 books. Available as eBooks from iTunes and Kindle/Amazon:
Diabetes Counter – the most up-to-date information on managing diabetes
Calorie Counter – a weight loss guide that won’t let you down
Protein Counter – put the latest protein recommendations to work for you
Healthy Wholefoods Counter – planet-friendly eating made easy
Complete Food Counter – food counts and nutrition information at your fingertips
Fat and Cholesterol Counter – newest approach to heart-healthy eating
Available in print from Gallery Books:
Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd Ed.
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com