This bpost is “trying” to be more focused, less forgettable esp. in its title.
The 2023 BBC [[Lazy guide to exercise]] asked “What’s the minimum amount of exercise to keep us healthy (I would add … and slow down aging)?” The producer primarily looked at the maintenance/upkeep of three target systems i.e. cardio-respiratory and major muscles. The conclusions are scientifically based, and reviewed by experts.
— frequency.. In my theory, sustainable_frequency is probably more important than intensity or duration. To hit the necessary frequency, I could build up the calorie amount incrementally throughout the day (BBC program), or I could try a short burst like 15 flights of stairs.
Workout frequency really boosts my self-esteem but can be unsustainable. It requires perception of reality, self-acceptance, fine-tuning/adjustments (tough).
when it’s hard to hit 5/wk,
* be flexible with shorter workouts. Start early during the day. incremental build-up .. For boxing, chin-up, squat and stairs, we can incrementally build up an active day.
* accept that it could feel like a chore
— duration .. 30-minute sessions are a well-known criteria for “effective workout”, including reasonable amount of rests + cool-down. So how much rest is reasonable? It actually varies greatly:
in swimming pool .. many swimmers rest 80% of the time. 60% is kinda average.
in the exercise corners downstairs .. many people rest 90% of the time. 70% is kinda average.
A class .. more disciplines than exercise corners.. instructor is the pacer.. typically 15-30%
my jog .. below 5%.
I prefer [10<-20] minutes of slow jog as my criteria. https://btv-open.dreamhosters.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=23343&action=edit lists some workouts that are equivalent to 10-min slow jog (about 1.5 – 2km). There are actually two yardsticks of “equivalence”. I’m using “absorbency”, not “cardio/calorie”. Depending on the context, in each item below the upper limit in a range like […-30] usually means “30 counts would match 10 min jog in terms of calorie/cardio”. Notably Jogging has high cardio effect and requires the lowest absorbency as explained in star_rating of power-surges, so using something like jump-rope to match such a high cardio effect requires too much absorbency , too much to be impractical. I would rather set a lower target than setting my regime on a march to hell.
==== intensity (vs duration)
* Short but intense bursts do count esp. for cardio-respiratory health.
* short but light activities (like slow walk, housework, shopp,,) do count.
“Brisk walk” .. a popular recommendation. I used to dismiss it as “marginally better” but by walking faster, you do “score” more points for cardio-respiratory.
If your day includes a few seconds of dash to catch a train (if safe), it too helps you score more points for cardio-respiratory.
Weight as resistance can increase intensity , and shorten the duration
* with squat, chin-up etc (mostly against body weight), even the slowest workout has a real intensity.
* With boxing and jogging, slow means low intensity. Speed would easily triple the intensity.
* climbing stairs uses both weight and pace to increase intensity, and helps all three major systems named above.
— Qualified Yes .. When an active day is a “qualified-Yes” it is usually due to discontinuous squats or G-16 climb like G-9 plus some squats. In contrast, continuous G-16 is unqualified Yes. However, the research of BBC program proves that “Any amount or burst of activity adds up“, basically vindicating my “incremental accounting”.
In fact, a 2km jog is far more sweaty than incremental G-16 stair climb or 240 squats, but lower intensity and doesn’t stress major muscles. Paradoxically we do count 2km jog as an unqualified Yes!
Most folks can’t hit 150 minutes/week (30m x 5) of moderate workout. For these individuals, short but intense workouts are often more achievable. This is the #1 practical finding of the BBC program. The HDB-hub cancer roadshow echoed the BBC guideline that 75m/week of “really” intensity workout also qualifies, but it’s futile to define what’s really intense.
