When It Comes to Exercise, More Isn’t Necessarily Better

There is good news for anyone planning to hit the gym as part of their New Year’s resolutions: according to recent analysis of Studies of a Targeted Risk Reduction Intervention through Defined Exercise (funded by the National Institutes of Health), it doesn’t take lots of intense exercise to receive valuable health benefits.

Data from the analysis showed that in a middle-aged, at-risk, physically inactive population, moderate-intensity exercise -- even in the absence of dietary changes -- significantly reduced the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. (Metabolic syndrome is a group of factors that put individuals at increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and other diseases related to plaque buildups in artery walls, as well as type 2 diabetes. Metabolic syndrome has become increasingly common, and it is estimated that over 50 million Americans have it.) Three key points presented by the analysis: 1) inactivity is unhealthy; 2) any exercise is better than doing nothing; and 3) more and/or more intense is not necessarily better than less and/or less intense exercise.