A Little Exercise Goes a Long Way
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 12:12AMThe American College of Sports Medicine just came out with a new book, Complete Guide to Fitness & Health.
The book highlights recent research suggesting that as little as 60 minutes of exercise a week provides health benefits.[i] Studies show that even small increases in activity will bring some health benefits in the early stages. As a result it is important to set achievable goals that provide success, build confidence, and increase motivation. For example, an exercise regimen of 10 minutes per day 5-6 days per week could be a very helpful starting point for beginners or less conditioned individuals.
The research is clear, though, that 150 minutes or more of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week lower their risk of developing certain diseases, including heart disease, the number one killer in the United States. [ii]
In a related vein, with exercises for back pain there is a lot of benefit to be gained from focusing on endurance as part of this training. Studies have shown that fatigability of spine stabilizing muscles (specifically the spine extensors) correlates closely with back pain symptoms.[iii] And it takes a while to build up endurance in these muscles. A recent study published in the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Therapy looked at people with identified strength/endurance deficits in lumbar extensor muscles. These folks were prescribed specific exercises to address these deficits. What they found is that people improved about 5.6 seconds of hold time per week of exercise.[iv] Studies on the endurance of neck muscles have shown that normal indificuals (people without pain) are have “hold times” of 30 seconds or more for certain exercises. So, even if you start at zero if you keep at that these exercises for a few weeks you can get to so-called normal levels.
60 minutes per week. That’s one episode of The Office or a fraction of your Facebook time. Your heart will thank you.
Plus just a little more endurance building with your core exercises and your back will thank you (or at least maybe it will quit bitching about all the sitting you do).
[i] www.acsm.com
[ii] J Sports Sci. 2010 Apr;28(6):573-91.
[iii] Spine J. 2009 Feb;9(2):115-20. Epub 2008 Feb 14.
[iv] J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2010 Jun;40(6):336-44.
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