No Pain, No Gain? It Depends on Your Fitness Goals

The idea of exercise as struggle is evident everywhere. From memes about the real source of sweat – it’s your fat crying, of course! – to maniacal fitness crazes like CrossFit, we’ve come to accept the idea that without pain, there is no benefit. But a new study is claiming something interesting. If you’ve given up on the idea of fitness because you don’t have hours to commit, it’s time to pay attention.

Thirty Minutes a Day

The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, looked at 8000 Americans over the age of 45 and found that we can lower our risk of early death by roughly 17% simply by spending thirty minutes every day doing something other than sitting. Any kind of movement counts, and it will help you stave off health problems like premature aging and cardiovascular disease. But it gets better. The researchers found that people enjoyed the longevity benefits of physical activity even if they built up that daily thirty minutes in chunks of time, rather than all at once.

Do More, Get More

Higher intensity movement for the same amount of time – exercise at a moderate or vigorous rate – can reduce early mortality by around 35%. Benefits compound as you increase physical activity, but the study showed a magic number. After three and a half hours of movement in one day, people seemed to max out their benefits.

Understanding that every little bit helps can be enough incentive for anyone to get moving. And if your fitness goals involve something beyond reducing risk later in life, our certified personal trainers can help. Put their experience and knowledge to work for you – let our trainers create a personalized fitness plan that will suit your schedule and your goals, and start enjoying the benefits of fitness now. It’s never too late to start, so contact us today.