Enough Is Enough, But How Much Is That?

I was going to write a big long post about overdoing exercise, it’s potential bad effects on your heart, and just the impossibility of keeping up with that unless you’re already Joe Athlete. So in stead, I just thought I’d answer the basic questions.

If you’re not running marathons, completing triathlons, or Iron Man competitions do you need to step it up and do more?

No.

If you’re doing some activity, anything really, with only moderate intensity for 21 minutes per day, are you getting the recommended amount of activity?

Yes.

The bottom line is that the “right amount” of exercise will be different for every person. You need to move while doing something you enjoy. But whether you should do 30 minutes of badminton or 30 minutes high octane spinning turns out to be more about your preference than anything else.

Don’t over-complicate, overthink, and certainly don’t feel like you have to overdo your exercise.  21 minutes per day, moderate activity. Get that in, and you win.