Physical inactivity has an estimated cost of $67.5 billion worldwide through health-care expenditure and productivity loss (Ding et al., 2016). Increased levels of physical activity can play a significant role in decreasing this socioeconomic burden. Regular physical activity is important for cardiovascular health (Lane-Cordova et al., 2022). A meta-analysis published in The Lancet gathered information from over one million men and women. Researchers found that 60 to 75 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per day was sufficient to eliminate the increased risk of early death associated with sitting for over eight hours per day (Ekelund et al., 2016). Another large study published in the Lancet showed taking more steps per day is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality. For adults younger than 60 years 8000 - 10 000 steps per day is associated with lower all-cause mortality risk, for adults 60 years and older 6000 – 8000 steps per day is associated with lower all-cause mortality risk (Paluch et al., 2022).
Physical activity and exercise is a potent way to counteract the effects of aging and enhance health and well-being (Iso-Markku et al., 2022; Shailendra et al., 2022). In addition physical activity and exercise has been shown to be effective in the primary prevention of over 30 different chronic diseases, it enhances strength, improves cardiorespiratory fitness, and reduces the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, mental health disorders, cognitive decline and several cancers (Asif et al., 2022; Bull et al., 2020).
Physical activity leads to changes in metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune function (Chow et al., 2022; Contrepois et al., 2020; Dunn & Olmedo, 2016; McGee & Hargreaves, 2020). One of these changes is the release of exerkines, which influence metabolism in virtually all organs in the body (Chow et al., 2022).
Physical Activity for People with Chronic Pain
If someone has chronic pain and they would like to start an exercise program, here are some general recommendations.
Exercise therapy is safe and beneficial for physical and psychosocial health in people with multiple comorbidities (Bricca et al., 2020; Reid et al., 2022). The world health organization recommends adults should undertake 150-300 min of moderate-intensity, or 75-150 min of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or some equivalent combination of moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, per week. These guidelines highlight the importance of regularly undertaking physical activity (both aerobic and muscle strengthening activities) emphasizing the value of any activity, of any duration, and any intensity (Bull et al., 2020). Even one or two sessions of physical activity per week may be sufficient to reduce all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality risks (O'Donovan et al., 2017).
Key Takeaways
The recommended amount of physical activity is 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. This can improve cardio-respiratory fitness, muscle strength, physical well-being, quality of life, and reduce fatigue, anxiety, and depression. The difficulty with exercise is that it is not one size fits all, what works for one person may not work for another, so it is important to try different approaches. The key to effectiveness of exercise is adherence, so keep in mind exercise should be designed to meet the needs of real people, this can be broken down into about five 30-minute brisk walks a week.
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