WHO renews its guidelines on physical exercise

2020/11/26 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

Sedentary lifestyle is known to pose a risk of premature death. To address this, the World Health Organization recommends physical exercise: minimum 150 to 300 minutes per week at medium intensity or 75 to 150 minutes at high intensity. Now, based on the results of their latest research, they have renewed their recommendations and stressed that all physical exercise is beneficial to alleviate the effects of sedentary lifestyle.

This study analyzed the activity of 44,000 people, who concluded that the sedentary lifestyle of 10 or more hours daily is directly related to premature death. However, this risk is greatly reduced by an average or high physical exercise of 30 to 40 minutes a day in all ages and circumstances.

New guidelines in a special issue of the British Medical Journal. More than 40 scientists from six continents have participated in this work and have stated that any physical exercise that is added to the recommendations of the WHO is beneficial: climbing stairs, going on foot from one to another, performing garden tasks, dancing…

In addition to reducing the risk of sympathetic death, they have stated that physical exercise is beneficial for mental health and from an economic point of view, it reduces presentism, increases productivity and decreases occupational casualties from diseases.

In addition to aerobic activity, strength exercises have also been taken into account, and new instructions include groups that have so far not been considered in WHO recommendations, such as those with functional diversity or chronic diseases, or those who have pregnant and newborn.

They warn that the new instructions have come out in the middle of a pandemic and realize that they may be more difficult to comply with because mobility is limited in many places. Thus, they have remembered that inside you can do physical exercise: climbing stairs, playing with pets or children, dancing, do pilates or yoga…

They have made it clear that the situation is worrying: 27.5% of adults and 81% of adolescents do not meet the WHO recommendation. They have therefore called on the authorities to adopt policies to help comply with these recommendations.