Exercise Is Medicine
3 Doctor-Designed Workouts Anyone Can Do
Effective exercise ‘prescriptions’ that take 20 minutes or less
This story is part of Exercise Is Medicine, a special report from Elemental that covers the incredible healing benefits of exercise, why doctors are prescribing workouts, the science of exercise for depression, and expert-designed exercises anyone can do.
Physical activity can help you think more clearly, sleep better, battle depression and generally live longer and healthier, a slew of studies show. U.S. federal guidelines call for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, which equates to 30 minutes a day over five days, to help achieve and maintain good health. This can be achieved by simply walking.
Meanwhile, a growing body of research finds surprising benefits of incredibly brief bouts of intense activity. The type of exercise is not what’s most important, says Martin Gibala, a professor in the department of kinesiology at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, and a leading researcher on the health benefits of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and its less time-consuming cousin, sprint-interval training (SIT). What matters is the brief, all-out effort which Gibala’s research has shown benefits people just starting an exercise…
