A new twenty-year study from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says that when it comes to exercise, more is almost always better. Paul Williams, one of the scientists behind the new study, is critical of national guidelines that recommend 150 minutes of exercise a week (half an hour a day, five days a week).
That’s a fine goal for the couch potatoes, Williams says, but it’s shortchanging the millions of Americans who already get the minimum amount of exercise and might not realize that doing more—maybe even doubling their workouts—would improve their health.
Williams’s study hasn’t quite gone mainstream yet. Doctors and public health officials don’t disagree with the findings, but are wary of changing the current guidelines to something more demanding, as they might intimidate people who might otherwise try and match those minimum requirements for exercise.
My motto has always been “less is more.” But obviously, I’m just being really lazy. Just think about all the people you know who exercise too little versus those you know who exercise too much. Yeah, not so many — if anyone — in the latter category, eh? And don’t forget to check out our running safety tips.
Read the full thing at the San Francisco Chronicle. Photo by kharied.
