The doctor talked about the required amount of aerobic exercise for heart health

To maintain heart health, adults are recommended to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week. This rate can be reached by brisk walking, cycling or swimming. However, it is useful for a person who hardly moves to start with less activity. How to distribute the load during the week and determine its intensity is in the "Izvestia" material.

How many minutes do I have to move

Gillian Foglesong Stable, a family medicine doctor, explained how much aerobic exercise is needed for the health of the cardiovascular system. These activities include movements that increase the heart rate and respiration: brisk walking, running, cycling or swimming. Regular exercise helps improve heart function and is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

The guideline for adults given by the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization is at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of intense activity per week. You can combine both types of load. For example, a person doesn't have to choose only walking or only running: the total amount of movement per week matters.

For additional benefits, WHO recommends aiming for 300 minutes of moderate or 150 minutes of intense aerobic activity per week. At the same time, 150 minutes is a guideline that can be gradually reached, and not a condition without which the movement loses its meaning. According to WHO, a certain amount of physical activity is better than no physical activity at all.

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A conversational test helps to determine the intensity. During moderate exercise, a person breathes more often than usual and can talk, but it is already difficult for him to sing. This may feel like brisk walking or a leisurely bike ride. Under intense stress, for example, while running, it is much more difficult to pronounce several words in a row without pausing to inhale.

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This distinction is important when calculating time. Half an hour of quiet walking and half an hour of brisk walking can have different effects on a particular person's breathing and pulse. Therefore, the speed of movement should be assessed not only by the clock or the distance traveled, but also by what kind of stress the body is experiencing.

At the same time, intensive training is not a prerequisite for heart benefits. According to Foglesong Stable, moderate aerobic activity also has a significant effect. Heavier classes may be suitable for people who tolerate them well and prefer this format, but it is not necessary for a person without training to start with them.

Do I need to practice every day

One way to get the recommended 150 minutes is to practice for 30 minutes five days a week. But the workout can be divided into shorter segments: for example, take a brisk walk in the morning and repeat the walk in the evening. The American Heart Association notes that short periods of activity can also be factored into the overall workload.

Foglesong Stable advises you to choose a regime that you can stick to for a long time. For a person just starting out, it may be more convenient to distribute the load over a week than trying to complete the entire volume in one or two days: this allows you to increase the duration and intensity gradually.

However, the format of classes mainly on weekends does not mean that there is no benefit. Studies reported by the American Heart Association have also linked meeting the weekly norm in one to two days with a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular diseases.

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Where to start if you haven't had any training before

The most noticeable changes may occur during the transition from almost complete absence of movement to regular moderate activity, Foglesong Stable notes. You don't need a complicated program to get started: you can walk more often, climb stairs, or take short walks throughout the day. Then, as you get used to it, increase the time and pace.

Aerobic exercise is only part of the recommendations. WHO also advises adults to do exercises to strengthen major muscle groups at least two days a week. They complement walking, running or swimming.

If a person has a chronic illness, is recovering from surgery or illness, or has not worked out for a long time and is about to switch to intensive training, a suitable load should be discussed with a doctor. Otherwise, the main principle remains simple: choose an accessible movement, start with a feasible volume and make classes regular.