Exercise intensity, duration and frequency varies greatly among individuals. It is commonly recommended to do 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise every week. In this current issue of Current Cardiology Reports, Robert W. McGarrah el al demonstrate that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise improves insulin sensitivity more than vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise when total energy expenditure is controlled for.

The exact physiologic mechanisms underlying this difference are not well understood. However, the implications of such an observation on our daily life are significant. Maintaining a daily routine of low to moderate intensity aerobic activity is sufficient to fend off insulin resistance and all other associated diseases like type 2 diabetes, obesity, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease. Walking or cycling back and forth to work daily, as well as using the stairs are for example activities that may keep you healthy and allow you to live longer. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine last year analyzed around 650,000 individuals regarding their exercise habits. The researchers found that those who walked around one hour every day were 39% less likely to prematurely die than those who never exercise. Individuals who exercised longer than one hour a day did not gain any additional benefits in terms or mortality risk reduction.

While the optimal dose of exercise will continue to be a subject of debate, there is no doubt that some form of daily activity is needed to maintain your body, boost your metabolism and prevent weight gain. Leading a sedentary lifestyle is associated with premature death. The good news is that you don’t have to participate in an ironman or a Spartan race every couple of months to maintain your fitness. McGarrah and colleagues show us in this article that walking daily is enough to keep you healthy.

Start walking this holiday season. Make a commitment for the new year to walk at least one hour a day. Maybe later you want to add some strength training or participate in a sport. The bottom line is that you must incorporate some form of activity in your life along with healthy food choices to live longer and happier. This is especially relevant to our bariatric patients who has undergone a gastric sleeve or bypass procedure this year. To maintain the weight loss that you have worked so hard to achieve, Houston Weight Loss Surgery Center recommends 60 minutes of daily exercise. Incorporate aerobic activity, yoga, stretching and weight lifting. Weight loss surgery patients who work out on a regular basis tend to be the most successful in maintaining their weight loss for years to come.