The Workout Cure

This article presents the latest research to argue that there’s not much that can’t be cured or prevented by exercise, including depression and disease. It also points out that it’s important to do a variety of exercise. Most people focus on the cardio or aerobic exercises. You also need to do some weight-bearing and flexibility exercises, especially as you age.

Long-term studies, following active and sedentary people until their deaths, have worked out that there is a dose-response curve.

“The more exercise you do, the better it is – up to a certain level,” he says. “A marathon runner or a triathlete is not doing much better for their health than somebody who is reasonably active. Half an hour a day is what they say now – or two for the price of one if you do vigorous exercise. Every vigorous minute is the equivalent of two moderately active minutes.”

Dame Sally Davies, England’s chief medical officer who practises before she preaches, goes for a jog twice a week – even though she says she doesn’t much like it – in order to set an example. She advocates 150 minutes of physical activity a week, which is the equivalent of half an hour, five days a week. That can be walking or cycling. It should be enough to raise your heart rate, make you breathe faster and feel warmer. Vigorous activity is something that makes you out of breath.