Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for April 9, 2018
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
April 9, 2018: Moderate exercise for 2 minutes at a time might provide the same health benefits as longer workouts.[1]
Federal exercise guidelines recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week. Following such a routine is believed to reduce the risk of certain diseases and premature death. Guidelines published a decade ago recommended that the exercise be conducted in at least 10-minute long sessions to increase endurance.[1]
However, a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that even exercise sessions as short as two minutes can have a similar impact.[2] They may not improve athletic endurance, but they appear to provide the same general health benefits. And, importantly, this exercise might be as simple as walking down the hall or climbing stairs.
The key is the total level of activity—30 minutes a day at least five days a week. So, two minutes at a time is fine so long as it’s done 15 times a day.
The study shows a correlation between exercise patterns and life expectancy, but it does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Further study is anticipated.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- April 6, 2018 – 31 percent believe traditional media outlets regularly report “fake news”
- April 5, 2018 – 5 steps to improve regulatory decision-making
- April 4, 2018 – 50 years ago today, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated
- April 3, 2018 – 8 Democratic Senate seats at risk in midterm elections
- April 2, 2018 – 25 constitutional amendments may be proposed to Florida voters
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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