;Resize=(1200,627)&hash=0b9007588760c440ddd943ea67a38fcf83888a56e1fdecef92a72be4b9ed20d9 "New exercise routine: That’s why you should train exactly 11 minutes a day")
If you want to get fit, you should do sweaty workouts that last at least 45 minutes several times a week? Wrong thought! A study shows that exactly 11 minutes a day is enough. FOCUS online explains how your body benefits from it.
The general recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO) is that one should get at least 150 minutes of “moderate exercise” or 75 minutes of “active exercise” per week to prevent disease.
Unfortunately, for some people it is not compatible with everyday life to spend so much time on exercise.
There’s good news for those who don’t have enough time: a study found that just 11 minutes of exercise a day has health benefits.
The WHO recommends so much sport
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise for a healthy adult.
At medium intensity, you can still have a conversation during the sport, even if you are a bit out of breath. At high intensity this is no longer possible.
That’s 21 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or about 10 minutes of vigorous activity per day.
These guidelines should be followed to prevent obesity, cardiovascular disease and joint problems. The Federal Ministry of Health also adheres to the recommendation of the WHO.
Why should you train for exactly 11 minutes now?
Researchers from Cambridge University in England conducted a meta-study. Each of the studies examined in it observed around 10,000 people over a longer period of time.
At the beginning of the study, all participants were asked how much sport they do in their free time. Then they were observed for at least three years. Causes of death were identified and categorized as cardiovascular disease, cancer, or other causes.
More exercise can prevent early death
Unsurprisingly, people who exercised died less often from cardiovascular disease and cancer than those who did not exercise. The researchers came to the conclusion that around 16 percent of early deaths could have been avoided with the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week.
But even with half the recommended time, 10 percent of deaths could have been avoided. So this means that just 75 minutes of moderate exercise per week, or 11 minutes a day, can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
So it doesn’t take that much exercise to do something good for your health. Nevertheless, if you do more sport, you have an even lower risk of falling ill. So before you stay on the couch, walk around the block a little every day to already benefit from the positive effects.
Danger: It’s important to note that the study did not consider other important factors, such as diet and sleep quality. In addition, only activity outside of work was measured. However, people who work in gastronomy move a lot more than a person with an office job.
The results of this study are therefore not 100 percent reliable. Nevertheless, they show the trend that even a little exercise can have health benefits.
How intense should you exercise?
Of course there is a difference between doing 11 minutes of gentle yoga and 11 minutes of heavy lifting.
The WHO recommendation says that you should get 150 minutes a week (or 21 minutes a day) of moderate-intensity exercise. A walk or a bike ride could be described as moderate.
More strenuous activities such as jogging or sweaty workouts count double. For example, a minute of running counts as much as two minutes of walking. Of course, the following applies to this recommendation: If you can create more time or intensity, you are welcome to do so.