How Much Exercise Do We Really Need?

Jasmine Toor, M.D., is a Fellowship-trained, board certified physician specializing in Primary Care Sports Medicine at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. She is the Director of Sports Concussions at Sports Medicine at Mercy. Dr. Toor recently responded to questions from The Epoch Times for a story regarding "How Much Exercise Do We Need?"

The standard exercise recommendation is 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week, but someone with a sedentary lifestyle may find that overwhelming, while another person who has specific fitness goals may find it insufficient. How can one determine how much exercise is 'enough' for them?

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends the average adult get 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity exercise (getting the heart rate to 70 to 80 percent of your heart rate maximum). One way to do this is by exercising 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week. However, there are many things that can make this difficult; work schedules, events for your kids or family responsibilities. If you have a busy schedule and it differs day-to-day, you can adjust your exercise routine and tailor it to fit your lifestyle. The goal is a total of 150 minutes a week that can be divided into different increments of time and numbers of days a week. For example, 45 minutes 3 to 4 times a week, or one-hour twice a week and one day where you exercise for 30 minutes.

My recommendation for someone who has not exercised previously and wants to begin, is to understand that the number of minutes a week is a goal that can be built up to. As a sports medicine physician, I do not expect someone who does not exercise regularly to be able to do so right away. I think having realistic expectations and understanding that someone who does not exercise regularly is going to be different than someone who does. A gradual increase is a great idea for a previous beginner exerciser. For a more active individual to maintain or improve their fitness, they will likely need more than 150 minutes a week to achieve their own specific goals. The most important thing is to ask your doctor about the best plan for you given your specific medical conditions and current activity level. My goal is to help all my patients, no matter what age, or current activity level stay active and I am happy to help create a plan to achieve these goals.

Sometimes we can lack motivation to get up and exercise. What advice can you offer to overcome this?

I think we have all struggled with this issue at least in some point in our lives, myself included. The best advice I can offer individuals who have a hard time with motivation to exercise is that consistency is key. It takes time to make anything a habit, which is why consistent exercise is very important. Planning your week ahead of time is always very helpful because schedules are busy, and a full day of work can be exhausting. It is important to have a plan ahead of time when carving out time for exercise. This improves the likelihood that you are going to exercise, rather than wait and sign up for a last minute class at the gym.

I think finding a form of exercise that you really enjoy doing is also very important. Whether it is playing a sport, or doing a specific class in the gym, if you enjoy what you are doing you are more likely to want to keep doing it. This also applies to forms of exercise that make you feel good afterwards. Remembering the way you feel after exercising is also a great tool to help motivate you to do it again.

Another tip that I have found helpful for those that are trying to get into a regular exercise routine is having a partner. It creates a sense of accountability and often people can go on a journey together to improve their fitness and achieve their goals with a friend or family member. Even if you have different fitness goals, this is a great way to stay motivated and watch each other's progress.

I have had patients that are beginning their exercise routine feel uncomfortable at the gym. The weight rooms can be intimidating even to those with some experience. Sometimes working with someone who has more experience, working with a personal trainer and talking to your doctor about the best plan for you is a great way to get comfortable in these environments.

Dr. Jasmine Toor offers prevention, diagnosis and non-operative treatment of acute and chronic injuries related to sports and exercise, such as concussions, ligament injuries and overuse conditions, as well as athlete-specific medical conditions. Dr. Toor treats athletes and active individuals 13 years of age and older. As Director of Sports Concussions, she develops concussion protocols and coordinates concussion care for sports medicine and orthopedic patients, as well as Business Health Services. In addition, Dr. Toor provides concussion education and support for Mercy Primary Care Physicians and serves as a liaison between The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital at Mercy and regional sports programs.