How to prevent chronic diseases? Start with exercise!

Mar 19, 2022

Regular physical activity can help improve your health, fitness, and quality of life. Physical activity also helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, many types of cancer, depression and anxiety, and dementia.

How much exercise do we need?

When it comes to exercise and chronic disease, you're probably wondering how much activity you need each week to reap the disease-prevention benefits. The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity (such as walking), or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity exercise (such as running or cycling). These should be combined with at least two days of weight training targeting all major muscle groups (back, glutes, legs, arms, shoulders, and abs).

If you're just starting to develop an exercise habit, any exercise will help you. Start slowly and gradually increase the duration of the exercise. If you add a minute or two a week, you'll be hitting your goals before you know it.

Overall, aerobic exercise may be the best option for treating or reducing chronic disease risk, while strength training is essential for maintaining or increasing muscle mass and strength. Strength training can also improve functional fitness and reduce the risk of bone loss (osteopenia) and muscle loss (sarcopenia), thereby reducing the risk of frailty.