Power Law #2 (part 5)
In our final post of Power Law #2 (movement/exercise), we’ll cover what is the best amount of exercise. Previously we have covered general movement (part 1), strength development (part 2), cardio/VO2 max training (part 3), and mobility work (part 4).
A sedentary person who begins exercising receives a dose-dependent decrease in various health issues, such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and mortality. However, at a high or excess volume of exercise, exercise starts losing longevity benefits, and can actually speed up the aging process.
The key is to determine the amont of exercise that delivers the greatest benefits… not too little, not too much. 70% of U.S. adults do NOT get enough exercise, while 2-5% of U.S. adults are overdoing it. When it comes to moderate exercise i.e. housework, gardening, walking), it is virtually impossible to overdo it. When it comes to MODERATE exercise, more IS better, and moderate exercise actually increases all-cause survival better than intense exercise.
So, what is the correct amount of exercise. With moderate exercise, more is generally better (assuming you leave time for sleep, eating, etc.). Concerning intense exercise, 75-90 minutes per week is sufficient (doing a set of resistance exercise that lasts for one [1] minute and then talking for nine [9] minutes does NOT count as ten [10] minutes of intense exercise). If you do resistance exercise for one (1) hour and your rest periods equal forty (40) minutes of that one (1) hour, then your intense exercise is twenty (20) minutes.
From the studies, it appears that:
Regular low-intensity movement reduces mortality in direct proportion to how much you do… more is better. For every one-thousand (1,000) steps per day, the mortality rate reduces, and continues to reduce up to twelve-thousand (12,000) steps.
Intense exercise is important, but needs to be limited. Strength training can add up to twenty (20) percent reduction in all-cause mortality IF not overdone. It appears twenty (20) to thirty (30) minutes, three (3) times per week is the “sweet spot” for intense exercise. Performing around one-hundred-thirty-five (135) minutes per week is the same benefits as doing no resistance training at all, and three (3) hours or more per week is worse for long-term survival than people who do no strength training.
There is one exception to overdoing resistance training, which is Blood Flow Restriction (BFR), which is performed with lighter weights and can be done for a significantly longer time than twenty (20) to thirty (30) minutes per workout… perhaps up to two to three (2-3) times longer. I may post something in the future on this training method.