Appropriate Exercise

Moderate exercise has many benefits for human health, from improving physical fitness to improving mental health, which affects people's quality of life in many ways. The following will elaborate on the benefits of appropriate exercise, how to carry out appropriate exercise and the best exercise time, and attach relevant data and literature support.

The benefits of moderate exercise

1. Improve heart and lung function

Regular moderate exercise, such as moderate intensity aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking, jogging) for at least 150 minutes per week, can make the heart muscle stronger and increase stroke output. Studies have shown that people who adhere to a moderate amount of aerobic exercise for a long time can increase their cardiac stroke volume by 10%-20% compared with those who do not exercise. This means that the heart can pump more blood to the whole body with each beat, providing more oxygen and nutrients to the organs of the body, thereby enhancing the body's endurance and exercise capacity.

Exercise can also increase the ventilation and ventilation efficiency of the lungs. In the case of running, breathing rate and depth increase during running, allowing the lungs to take in more oxygen and expel carbon dioxide more efficiently. A study of long-distance runners found that after long-term and moderate long-distance running training, their lung capacity increased by an average of 10% to 15%, which helped to improve the body's oxygen uptake and utilization capacity, reduce the burden of breathing, and prevent respiratory diseases (source: Exercise Physiology).

2. Improve muscle strength and joint flexibility

Moderate strength training, such as simple machine training or body weight training (such as push-ups, squats) performed two to three times per week, can promote muscle protein synthesis and increase the cross-sectional area of muscle fibers, thereby improving muscle strength. Studies have shown that eight weeks of strength training can increase muscle strength by an average of 20 to 30 percent, which is essential for easy performance of daily activities such as lifting heavy objects and walking up and down stairs.

Exercise also improves joint flexibility and stability. The muscles and ligaments around the joint are exercised during exercise, which can better protect the joint and reduce the risk of joint injury. For example, long-term practice of Tai chi, which focuses on joint flexion, extension and rotation, can increase joint range of motion and reduce the risk of osteoarthritis in the elderly (source: Chinese Journal of Sports Medicine).

Increase basal metabolic rate

Exercise increases muscle mass, and muscle tissue uses more energy at rest than adipose tissue. The basal metabolic rate can be increased by 5%-10% by long-term moderate exercise, especially strength training. This means that even when at rest, the body is able to burn more calories, helping to maintain a healthy weight or assisting in weight loss. For example, a person weighing 60 kg can consume about 150-200 kcal more per day after a 10% increase in basal metabolic rate (source: Sports Nutrition).

Improve blood glucose and lipid metabolism

Moderate exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, make the body cells more sensitive to insulin response, so as to better uptake and use of glucose in the blood, reduce blood glucose levels. Studies have shown that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for more than 150 minutes per week in patients with type 2 diabetes can reduce glycated hemoglobin levels by 0.5% to 1.0% and help to control blood glucose stability (source: Expert consensus on Exercise Therapy in diabetes).

Exercise also regulates blood lipids, lowering the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (" bad cholesterol ") in the blood while raising the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (" good cholesterol "). Aerobic exercise for at least 120 minutes weekly reduces triglyceride levels by 10% to 20% and increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels by 5% to 10%, helping to protect against cardiovascular disease (source: Advances in Cardiology).

Reduce stress and anxiety

During exercise, the body releases endorphins, known as "happy hormones," which produce feelings of pleasure and relaxation and help relieve stress and anxiety. A study of office workers found that those who exercised for 30 minutes or more three times a week had a 20 percent lower Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS） score than those who did not exercise, indicating a significant reduction in their anxiety levels (source: Psychological Journal).

Improve your sleep quality

Moderate exercise can adjust the body clock, making it easier to enter a deep sleep state. Studies have shown that people who adhere to regular exercise shorten the time to fall asleep by an average of 20%, increase the time of deep sleep by 30%, and improve the quality of sleep significantly. For example, taking a daily 30-minute walk or yoga can help people fall asleep faster at night, sleep more deeply, and feel better the next day (source: The Journal of Sleep Medicine).

How to Engage in Appropriate Exercise

1.Moderate Intensity exercise

Moderate intensity exercise was defined as exercise at 60% to 70% of the maximum heart rate. The maximum heart rate was calculated as 220 minus age. For example, a 30-year-old person with a maximum heart rate of 220-190 beats/min would have a heart rate range of 190×60% = 114 beats/min to 190×70% = 133 beats/min for moderate intensity exercise. Common types of moderate-intensity exercise include brisk walking (about 100-120 steps per minute), jogging (about 8-10 km per hour), and cycling (about 12-16 km per hour). This type of exercise can last for a long time and effectively improve cardiopulmonary function and metabolic level.

2. High-intensity exercise

The heart rate of high-intensity exercise should reach 70%-85% of the maximum heart rate. For example, the 30-year-old described above had a heart rate ranging from 133 to 161.5 beats/min during high-intensity exercise. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a typical high-intensity exercise mode, which is performed by alternating short periods of high-intensity exercise with short breaks, such as 30 seconds of fast rope jumping followed by 30 seconds of rest, repeated for multiple sets. Although the duration of high-intensity exercise is short, it can produce a "post-burn effect" after exercise, continue to consume calories, and improve the weight loss effect and exercise capacity. However, high-intensity exercise is more demanding on the body and is not suitable for beginners or people with poor physical conditions. It should be conducted under the guidance of experienced coaches.

3. The arrangement of exercise time

Single exercise time

For moderate intensity aerobic exercise, each exercise time should be no less than 30 minutes to ensure that all organs and systems of the body are fully exercised and stimulated. For example, 30 minutes of jogging can make the body gradually enter a state of aerobic metabolism, effectively burn fat, and improve cardiopulmonary function. However, if the time is too long, it can lead to excessive fatigue and an increased risk of injury. For high-intensity exercise, such as HIIT, each exercise time can be controlled at 20-30 minutes, including warm-up, exercise and relaxation sessions. Due to the high intensity of high-intensity exercise, it is difficult for the body to withstand it for a long time, so it is essential to control the time reasonably.

Weekly exercise frequency

For sustained health benefits, it is recommended to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity weekly, spread across 3 to 5 days each week. For example, brisk walking for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, would meet this requirement.For strength training, do 2-3 times a week, each training time control in 30-60 minutes, including different parts of the body muscle training. Muscles need time to repair and grow after strength training, so it is not appropriate to perform strength training too frequently.