People of all ages, from kids to older adults, are encouraged to limit sedentary behavior and increase daily exercise, according to updated guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO).
These guidelines, which replace 2010 WHO recommendations, highlight the importance of combining aerobic plus strength training, and include guidance for pregnancy, postpartum women, and individuals with chronic conditions or disability.
Children and adolescents should get an average of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per day and all adults should aim for 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week. In addition, regular weekly strength-training exercise should be included. The above guidelines also apply to older adults and those with selected chronic conditions and living with disability without contraindications, based on their physical abilities. Pregnant and postpartum women should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week.
The study authors note that this increase in daily exercise not only benefits overall health and reduces disease risk, but also translates into economic benefits due to workers taking less sick days off work.
Kara Fitzgerald, ND, received her doctor of naturopathic medicine degree from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. She completed the first Counsel on Naturopathic Medicine-accredited post-doctorate position in nutritional biochemistry and laboratory science at Metametrix Clinical Laboratory under the direction of Richard Lord, PhD. Her residency was completed at Progressive Medical Center, a large, integrative medical practice in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Fitzgerald is the lead author and editor of Case Studies in Integrative and Functional Medicine and is a contributing author to Laboratory Evaluations for Integrative and Functional Medicine and the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM)’s Textbook for Functional Medicine. With the Helfgott Research Institute, Dr. Fitzgerald is actively engaged in clinical research on the DNA methylome using a diet and lifestyle intervention developed in her practice. The first publication from the study focuses on reversal of biological aging and was published 04-12-2021 in the journal Aging. She has published a consumer book titled Younger You as well as a companion cookbook, Better Broths and Healing Tonics and has an application-based Younger You Program, based on the study.
Dr. Fitzgerald is on the faculty at IFM, is an IFM Certified Practitioner and lectures globally on functional medicine. She runs a Functional Nutrition Residency program, and maintains a podcast series, New Frontiers in Functional Medicine and an active blog on her website, www.drkarafitzgerald.com. Her clinical practice is in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.
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