Learn how to lead a healthy life, by the numbers
- Debbie Fetterman
Imagine that your physician finishes your annual physical by giving you a prescription to improve your overall health.
The script says: “150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. No excuses.”
Several area doctors, including Dr. Benjamin Levine, director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine,
do just that.
“I ask my patients: ‘Do you brush your teeth? Do you take a shower? Do you eat food?’” says Levine, a practicing
physician and professor of medicine and cardiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “Exercise is not something
supplemental. It’s part of how you take care of yourself. It’s never too late to exercise. There are always important
benefits, even if you start in your 70s or 80s.”
If you can put one foot in front of the other, you can walk your way to wellness and enhance the odds of living a longer,
healthier life, says Dr. Daniel Clearfield, a physician and assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the UNT Health
Science Center. He will modify plans or encourage exercising in a pool for those with arthritis or other limitations, but he
won’t accept excuses.
Most people ages 18 to 64 should exercise a minimum of 150 minutes per week at a moderate-intensity level for
optimal health, according to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, published by the U.S.
Department of Health & Human Services.
Added benefits can be gained by doubling the minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or by exercising at a
vigorous level for 150 minutes each week. Adults also are encouraged to do muscle-strengthening activities involving all
major muscle groups at least twice a week.
0 excuses
Get those minutes of moderate exercise any way you want each week — all at once or 30 minutes five days a week, or
slice them into even smaller chunks (though experts recommend at least 10-minute blocks). If Tuesdays are extra-busy,
aim for 45 minutes on Monday and Wednesday and 30 minutes two other days.
1 hour of jogging
Jogging one hour each week at a slow or average pace can add years to your life, according to