HHS HealthBeat (February 20, 2006)

Exercise in the real world

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Experts recommend brisk walking 30 minutes a day, most days of the week. But walkers don’t always do that. They follow their own plan. What happens then?

Researcher Michael Perri of the University of Florida checked what people do in the real world. His work, which was supported by the National Institutes of Health, was in Archives of Internal Medicine.

Perri found people got more fit with 30 minutes of moderate or brisk walking five or more days a week, or brisk walking three or four days a week. Harder workers had an extra payoff – better cholesterol levels. But any program seemed to make participants’ lives better:

"They found it easier going up and down stairs. They found it easier when they were playing with their children in different sports kinds of activities." (eight seconds)

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: August, 15 2006