Women Exercise Almost Half As Much As Men: Does It Matter?

On the heels of a study that proved exercise alone cannot undue the health damages of sedentary office environments comes another study from Oregon State University that shows an alarming disparity of exercise between men and women. The study points out the need for new solutions and an urgent reminder that men are in no position to gloat.

The study published today in the journal of Preventative Medicine came out of Oregon State University. Initially searching for correlations between physical activity, depression and metabolic syndrome, the study found that women accumulate an average of only 18 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day, compared to 30 minutes for men.

The study authors noted that this greatly increased a women's odds of developing metabolic syndrome. "Those who get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day are less likely to be depressed, less likely to have high cholesterol and less likely to have metabolic syndrome."

How much less likely? Not much according to a number of studies published in the past year. A study just this week from Finland showed that an emphasis needs to be made on the amount of time spent sitting as well as the amount of time dedicated toward exercise. 30 minutes of exercise though beneficial will have no impact on the health risks inflicted on a population that spends on average 70% of their waking hours immobile.

Although regular exercise has well defined and chronicled health benefits, prolonged daily sedentary periods cause a number of major health risks despite previous physical activity during the day.

The health message that seems to be escaping American men and women is that a daily trip to the gym is not enough to counteract the debilitating effects of sedentary lifestyles. Continual movement through out the day is much more effective in restoring health and assisting in weight loss.

What can be done to counteract this? Here are some suggestions and tips to regain your health and increase the amount of exercise in your life without taking extra time out of your day:

1. Re-design your work life. If your employer allows it, add a treadmill desk. If not lobby for a standing desk which will force you to move during the day.
2. Re-think your home habits. Chances are most of won't put a treadmill or recumbent bike into our living rooms however we can change our sedentary habits:
a. Sit on the floor and stretch rather than the couch. Alternate with calisthenics such as free squats, jumping jacks, push-ups and planks on the hour.
3. Extend your walks: Take the stairs, park farther from the stores when shopping, look for excuses to move in the office.
4. Track your steps along with your calories, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
5. Get eight hours of sleep!

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