In order to get their daily exercise, some people may go work out at the gym, get together for a game of basketball, or go outside for a nice long jog. Others might just take a quick stroll around the neighborhood. There are plenty of ways to get out and be active, but how much exercise should we get every day? As college students, a good amount of our day is spent by walking to places such as classes, the library, and the cafeteria. Is this enough for our daily exercise?
In the article, "Getting Exercise in College", it is recommended that we get at least an hour of exercise on most days of the week. I read two more articles, "How Much Should You Exercise?" and "How much should the average adult exercise every day", and both seem to give slightly different insight than the first article. A Mayo Clinic expert suggests a daily goal of 30 minutes of physical activity and a CBS News study proposes 30 minutes to 60 minutes of exercise every day. Why do the three articles differ in their responses?
The recommended amount of physical activity differs because they are speaking as an average. For example, a fit cross country runner might not need as much exercise as someone who is overweight and watches television all day. The first article, "Getting Exercise in College", is centered towards college students which could be the reason more physical activity is suggested than in the other two articles. Since college students have a tendency to gain weight due to the lack of exercise and poor diet, the article stresses the importance of staying active.
Daily exercise is a helpful way to reduce stress, boost confidence, lower blood pressure, lower the risk of diseases, etc. Even just a brisk walk or jog is considered exercise, as long as you get your heart rate moving. So if you have a class on West Bank and walk back and fourth over the Washington Bridge, chances are you already covered your recommended amount of daily activity. All this walking we do in college is beneficial to our health and isn't actually so bad after all.
Here are the links for each of the articles:
http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/college/exercise.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/AN01713
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/15/health/webmd/main1044716.shtml
