Physical activity is important for health, but how much exercise do we really need? Do we need to go to the gym several times a week or love running to get positive health benefits?

The simple answer is no. Research shows that daily physical activity can have greater health benefits than we previously thought.

Daily physical activity is a type of physical activity that everyone can easily fit into their lives. It is completely free, requires no change of clothes and can be done anywhere. It can be as simple as parking your car a little further away and walking the last mile, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or cycling to work instead of taking public transport.

Mai-Lis Hellénius, lifestyle professor at Karolinska Institutet, particularly highlights stairs as an effective form of daily physical activity. When we meet her, she has just taken the stairs seven floors up.

– Stairs are everywhere, both indoors and outdoors, and they are free. They give almost everyone, even the fit, a heart rate boost. It is also a form of strength training. When we take a step, we carry our entire body weight on one leg for a fraction of a second, says Mai-Lis Hellénius.

What effect does daily physical activity have on health?

Physical activity, such as everyday movement, has both direct and long-term effects on our mental and physical health. It helps us sleep better, be more alert, improve our quality of life and reduce anxiety and depression. It also reduces the risk of many of our common public health diseases.

A large study used accelerometers to measure the movement patterns of 78 000 people aged 40-79 and then followed them for seven years. The results showed that those who walked 10 000 steps a day, compared to those who walked less than 2 000 steps a day, had an 80% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, a 70% lower risk of cancer and death, a halved risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s and other memory problems, and a 60% lower risk of disease and death in general.

Biggest impact for those who move from inactivity to physical activity

The biggest health gains come from moving from inactivity to physical activity, even if it is only a small change. For people who are very inactive, as little as one extra walk a week can make a big difference. Something that Mai-Lis Hellénius wants to emphasize.

– It’s true that every movement counts. And that’s a very positive and important message for people who feel stressed. We often think we need to be extremely fit or spend a lot of time exercising, but that’s not necessary, says Mai-Lis Hellénius.

How much exercise do we need?

According to the Public Health Agency of Sweden, adults should be physically active every week, both on weekdays and weekends. This activity can range from gardening and cleaning to walking, cycling and going to the gym.

The recommendation is at least 150-300 minutes of moderate activity (an increase in heart rate and breathing, such as a walk) or 75-150 minutes of intense activity (marked increase in heart rate and breathing, such as interval training) per week. A combination of both also works well. In addition, prolonged sedentary behavior should be avoided and broken with movement breaks, and muscle-strengthening activities should be performed at least two days a week and involve the body’s major muscle groups.

Tips for bringing more movement into everyday life

  • Choose stairs instead of elevator and escalator.
  • Do a Kiruna (Mai-Li’s favorite) – 10 squats on the spot, as often as you can.
  • Park your car a little further away or get off a stop earlier and walk the last bit.
  • Replace sedentary meetings with walking meetings whenever possible.
  • Take regular movement breaks, preferably every half hour.
  • Schedule lunchtime walks with a colleague to make it happen.
  • Walk over to a colleague and talk instead of emailing.
  • Make sure you stand up or walk around the house every time there is a commercial break.

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