Thirty-Minute Mystery: Physical Activity — How Much? How Often? How Intense?

Written by Dietitians at Diabetes Control for Life

Can just 30 minutes of physical activity a day make a difference?

The answer is yes! The physical activity “return on investment” is amazing. Only 30 minutes of physical activity a day gets you better blood sugar control, better heart health, and better weight control, not to mention a boost in well-being, self-esteem, and appearance.

And here’s the topper: Physical activity also is good for your brain! Experts think the benefit comes from pumping oxygen to the brain, keeping it functioning at top form.

This Active Living article gives you more information to reinforce and build on your activity plan:

• It explains how much physical activity you should get and how intense it should be for you to see all those “good returns” on your investment of time and energy.
• It also describes convenient ways to fit physical activity into your busy life.

How Much and How Often?

Since 1996, experts have told us to add at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most — or better yet, all — days of the week. You’re probably thinking, “I have enough to squeeze into my day, let alone find another 30 minutes for physical activity!” Or “Most days, I don’t have a whole 30-minute stretch of free time.” Don’t worry, here’s the good news:

• Many of the activities you already do probably “count” toward the 30-minute goal, such as
  • Gardening or lawn work
  • Scrubbing/vacuuming floors
  • Washing windows
  • Washing the car
  • Brisk walking
  • Golfing
  • Tennis
  • Bicycling
  • Dancing
• You don’t have to complete the whole 30-minute period in one stint. Here’s an example of how short periods of activity add up. Before you go to work, you walk your dog for 10 minutes at a brisk pace. At lunch, you and a friend run an errand, parking in a lot that is a five-minute brisk walk away from your destination — a 10-minute round-trip walk. After work, you and your dog go out to pick up the mail and take another brisk 10-minute walk. You’ve achieved your 30 minutes of daily moderate physical activity.

How Intense Should Your Physical Activity Be?

When you’re getting started, the name of the game is “easy does it.” The activities you do should make you feel energized, not exhausted. Don’t push yourself so hard that it’s not fun, or you run the risk of hurting yourself.

Listen to your body. Your physical activity plan describes a number of ways to evaluate your activity intensity. The easiest way to gauge yourself is by doing the “talk test.” If you’re too short of breath to talk, slow down!

Another easy method is the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale. This technique sounds imposing, but it simply requires that you rate how much effort you’re putting into the activity. The scale goes from six, the level of exertion you would feel if you were sitting comfortably in a chair, to 20, which is maximal exertion — you could work no harder without collapsing! The best place is between 13 and 15. At this level you are gaining health and fitness benefits without pushing too hard.

Every Day, Every Way

Here are easy tips for working physical activity into your day and increasing your step count with hard and soft steps:

• Park your car in the parking lot far from your destination so you can get in a quick walk.
• Give up the remote control. Getting up and walking to the TV to change channels counts.
• March in place while you watch TV or talk on the phone.
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator. For instance, try to use the restroom on another floor so that you have to walk up and down a flight of stairs to get there.
• When you’re at work, get out of your chair every hour for an invigorating stretch and to walk around the other cubicles or offices.
• Do you travel less than a couple kilometers on local trips? Make a pact with yourself, when time and weather allow, to walk any errand that’s less than three kilometers.
• Most importantly, make a plan and write it down. At the end of the day, check off the activities you accomplished. We’ve given you a blank sample activity log to help get you started.

Daily Physical Activity Log

Summary

• Adding 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity to your daily routine will provide you with some terrific health benefits.
• Many daily activities you’re already doing can contribute to your 30-minute-a-day goal if you do them at a moderate pace.
• Listen to your body. Use the talk test. If you’re so short of breath you can’t talk, slow down. The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale is another way to listen to your body by gauging your activity intensity.