Adding 10 Minutes of Exercise a Day Can Boost Your Health

 

Exercise is more important when a person gets older because it can slow down the effects of aging.

To do exercise, you can start with a small amount and build that up over time. Researchers say adding just 10 minutes of exercise a day can provide significant health benefits. Although ten minutes per day seems nominal, over a span of a year, it adds up to a lot more hours of exercise.

Researchers said that if adults aged 40 to 85 engaged in just 10 additional minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day, it would save 110,000 deaths a year.

If the same groups increased their exercise by 20 minutes, it could save 209,459, and 30 minutes could prevent 272,297 deaths. 

“Regular exercise benefits virtually every organ system in our body. It reduces blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. Exercise can also help us sleep better and improve our mood, sense of well-being, and quality of life,” said Dr. Vanita Rahman, clinic director of the Barnard Medical Center at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

As mentioned before, regular exercise can also protect us against the natural physical effects of aging. 

“In our 30s, we all begin experiencing some level of age-related muscle loss called sarcopenia,” Dr. Danine Fruge, medical director of the Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami. 

“If we are active daily, we lose less, but if we are inactive, we can lose on average 3 to 5 percent of our muscle mass per decade,” Fruge said. 

“Maintaining a healthy muscle mass for our age is key for preventing falls and unhealthy bodies as well as increasing both qualities of life and longevity.”

 “Simple things like choosing to take the stairs instead of the elevator, taking some work calls during a walk, and, if possible, scheduling a few 5- to 10-minute breaks in your day to do some simple exercises like jogging in place or squats can help you increase your activity enough to reap those benefits that help your body function optimally for better longevity,” said Dana Ryan, director of Sport Performance and Education at Herbalife Nutrition explained.

During COVID-19 pandemic, there are many ways you can be active indoors:

• Strength training

• Yoga

• Dancing

• Pilates

• Walking up & down stairs

• Cycling

• Stretching

Below is an example of a workout that can be performed indoors with limited space with and without weights/bands. These exercises will help with joint support, balance and maintaining muscle mass. If you feel pain during any exercise, stop immediately. Exercises should be performed at least three times a week. Stretching is recommended before and after workouts.

 

Weight & Bands				Body Weight
	Sets	Reps			Sets	Reps
Jumping Jacks	3	10		Jumping Jacks	3	10
Goblet Squats	3	8		Lunge	3	8
Glute Bridge	3	8		Glute Bridge	3	8
Band Pull Apart	3	8		Tricep Dips	3	8
Dumbbell Shoulder Press	3	8		Push Ups	3	8
Band Row	3	8		Wall Slides	3	8
Russian Twist	3	10 Each		Russian Twist	3	10 Each Side
Leg Raise	3	10		Leg Raise	3	10
Plank	3	30 Sec		Plank	3	30 Sec
Day 2				Day 2
Push Ups	3	10		Push Ups	3	10
Dumbbell Row	3	10 Each		Y's & T's	3	10 Each
Plank	3	30 Sec		Plank	3	30 Sec
Arm Flutters	3	20 Sec Each		Arm Flutters	3	20 sec Each
Crunch	3	15		Reverse Fly (without weights)	5	10 Times
Stairs	3	5 Times		Crunch	3	15
Lunge	3	8 Each		Goblet Squats	3	10
Bird Dogs	3	8 Each		Bird Dogs	3	8 Each
RDL	3	8		Stairs	3	5 times