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Minimum Safe Dosage: How much Physical Exercise should we aim to do?

Home » Minimum Safe Dosage: How much Physical Exercise should we aim to do?
by Chris McCormick

 

Are you sitting at the desk for a long time? Struggling to find time to get out of the office during the day? Staring at the computer screen for long periods? These are the all too common traits of the corporate worker in modern society.

Having a low physical fitness for your age group actually is a greater predictor of early death than the cumulative risk of smoking, diabetes, and obesity combined – scary I know! This is particularly important for a corporate population as so much of the day is spent sitting down at your desk or in meetings.

 

 

The key question is how can we improve low physical fitness?

How much physical activity do you need to undertake to reduce your risk of early death?

The answer is easier to achieve than you think! I recommend watching this YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo. It certainly changed my perspective on this topic when I was shown it a couple of years ago! I now show it to as many clients as possible, particularly those in corporate settings!

Some simple tips to help you increase your physical activity

  • Get off the lift 2 or 3 floors earlier and take the stairs to your level
  • Hop off the tram a couple of stops prior to work/home
  • Walk up the escalators at the train station – don’t stand and let it do the work for you!
  • Find a lunch buddy and go for a 15-30 min walk at lunchtime

The key point here, is minimising our time spent being inactive!