Plastics Threaten Human Health

Plastics can have and impart to a human a variety of dangerous chemicals including endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that pose a threat to human health. A new report has reported the dangerous health effects of contamination that is widespread from the EDCs in plastics.

The report from the Endocrine Society and the Int’l Pollutants Elimination Network has shown that EDCs such as chemicals that will disturb the body’s hormonal systems and may lead to diabetes, cancer, reproduction problems and also neurological problems of fetuses and also children. This report entails a preponderance of evidence that supports links between chemical toxic additives in plastics and certain negative impacts of health to the endocrine system.

Estimates that are conservative at this time point to more than 1,000 chemicals that are manufactured are being used today which are EDCs. Known EDCs that come from plastics and that are dangerous to a humans health such as bisphenol A and other chemicals, phthalates, flame retardants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, UV stabilizers, dioxins, and metals that are toxic such as cadmium and lead.

Plastics which contain EDCs are used extensively in construction, packaging and production of food, flooring, children’s toys, cookware, furniture, health care, home electronics, cosmetics, automobiles and textiles.

Some findings in the report are:
144 chemicals or groups that can be detrimental to health which are actively put in plastics use enablers that vary from flame retardants, UV-stabilizers, antimicrobial activity to colorants, plasticizers and solvents.

The exposure of EDC is a problem all over the world. Testing of samples from humans show consistency of problems in nearly almost all people who may have EDCs in their body

Bioplastics/biodegradable plastics which are promoted as more ecological than plastics, contain similar chemical additives as do conventional plastics and also have endocrine disrupting effects.

Microplastics have chemical additions which have ability to come from the microplastic and everyone is exposed. They also can accumulate and bind chemicals that are toxic from the environment such as sediment and seawater, which function as carriers for compounds that are toxic.

Exposure can happen during the entire life span of plastic products – from the manufacturing process to consumer contact, water management and disposal, and recycling.

A large amount of plastics that are used every day inside our homes/work expose us to harmful contaniments of EDC’s. Actions are needed globally to keep human health protected and the threat to the environment.

The need for effective public policy to protect human health from EDCs in plastics is even more urgent given the current amounts of plastic production which are projected to increase roughly by 30-36% within the next 6 years. This projection will greatly promote EDC exposure and increase worldwide rates of endocrine diseases. EDCs in plastics are a health issue internationally that is acutely felt in the south worldwide where plastic waste that is toxic ships from more wealthy countries comprise communities. Furthermore, endocrine disrupting chemical exposure is not only a global problem, but it poses a serious threat to future generations. Animal research as shown that DNA modifications from EDCs can have repercussions across generations.

To view the original scientific study click below

Plastics, EDCs & Health: Authoritative Guide.

Heart Health and How Fast a Person Climbs Stairs

According to new research at University Hospital A Coruna Spain, the time required to climb four flights of stairs provides an excellent indicator of heart health. Cardiologists use climbing stairs in a physical exam for that purpose.

The study team set out to examine the relationship between a daily activity, in this case climbing stairs, and the results obtained from exercise tests in a lab. Their idea was to find an inexpensive and simple way to assess heart health which can help physicians triage patients for additional, more extensive exams.

The study had 165 symptomatic patients referred to it for exercise tests due to suspected or unknown coronary artery disease. Some of the symptoms were shortness of breath during exercise or chest pain.

Participants were asked to run or walk on a treadmill, gradually increasing the intensity and continuing until they were exhausted. Exercise capacity was measured as METs (metabolic equivalents). Following a resting period of 15 to 20 minutes, the participants were asked to climb four flight of stairs (60 stairs) at a fast pace and without stopping or running, and their time was recorded.

The team analyzed the relationship between METs achieved during exercise tests and the time it took to climb four flights of stairs. The people who went up a set of stairs in less than 45 seconds achieved more than 9-10 METs. Earlier studies have shown that 10 METs during an exercise tests correlates to a low mortality rate (1% or less per year or 10% in 10 years). In contrast, people who took over 1.5 minutes to climb the stairs had less than 8 METs which correlates to a mortality rate of 2-4% per year or 30% in 10 years.

During the treadmill tests, the team also generated images of the heart to assess its function during exercise. If the heart is working normally during exercise this would indicate a low likelihood of coronary artery disease.

The team then compared these findings to the results of the stair climbing. 58% of participants who completed the stair climb in more than 1.5 minutes displayed abnormally functioning of the heart during the treadmill exam. In contrast, just 32% of the participants who climbed the stairs in less than one minute had abnormal heart function during the treadmill exam.

Almost 1 in 3 of the study participants who climbed the stairs quickly still showed abnormal heart function which is a possible marker for coronary heart disease. This fact shows why the stair climbing test shouldn’t be used for more comprehensive evaluations. Based on this study, the ability to climb stairs can be used as a crude method to assess one’s physical function that could be predictive of overall heart health.

Stair climbing is often used to assess heart health because it is an exercise that gets a person’s heart rate up relatively quickly. Typically, if a person has an issue with a blocked heart artery, they tend to get symptoms like shortness of breath and chest pain at higher heart rates. Physicians will often use a person’s ability to climb a flight or two of stairs without an issue as a sign that they should probably do okay during surgery.

Stair climbing does have its limitations however. The biggest advantage to this method is its ease. It can be done almost anywhere with very little requirements of personnel or equipment. It is faster and cheaper to do than traditional stress tests and it can be repeated multiple times to track any changes or progress in functional ability.

However, the test is not standardized. The kind of stairs how fast the climbing of stairs is, and the time of effort can differ. And this method significantly limits evaluations of patients with limited mobility and elderly patients who can have more mechanical difficulty with climbing stairs.

The team also note that the correlation between the stair climbing time and exercise capacity (METs) would be similar in the general population. The corresponding mortality rates and heart function through imaging would be more favorable than for patients with symptoms and confirmed or suspected coronary heart disease.

To view the original scientific study click below

Test your heart health by climbing stairs.

Gut Microbes and Good Sleep

It is well known that intestinal health has a close link with healthy functioning of the brain. Researchers from the University of Tsukuba in Japan are now suggesting that normal sleep patterns may be influenced by gut bacteria through the ability to help create important chemical messengers in the brain such as dopamine and serotonin.

The team’s findings could offer new hope for those who have difficulty sleeping or experience a variety of sleep related health problems such as chronic fatigue, insomnia, and mental fog. They found that depletion of microbes eliminates serotonin in the gut and brain levels of serotonin can affect a person’s sleep/wake cycle. Therefore, changing which microbes in the gut from altering a persons diet can help those who have sleep problems

For the experiment, the team divided 25 genetically identical 8 week old male mice into 2 groups. The mice in the experimental group were given access to water along with 4 commonly used broad spectrum antibiotics. The other group was given water without antibiotics.

After the 4 week trial period, they compared the contents of the intestine between the two groups of mice. Digestion of food breaks it down into pieces and bits called metabolites.

They found a high amount of differences between metabolites in the mice that were microbiota depleted and the group that had been controlled. They found a difference of 200 or more in the metabolyte between the 2 groups. Almost 60 of metabolites that are normal were gone in the mice that had depleted microbiota with the others differing in the amount, with some that had more and some that had less in the group that was controlled.

They then went on to see how these metabolites would normally act. Using enrichment analysis of the metabolome they discovered that the pathways that were biological affected by the treatment of the antibiotics were those involved in neurotransmitter which are the molecules that brain cells use in communicating.

The results of the experiment indicated that the antibiotic treatment group totally closed down the pathway of tryptophan andserotonin. The mice that were microbiota depleted had higher levels of tryptophan than the control mice but almost no serotonin. It therefore, seemed that the gut microbes are a critical factor to the process that produces serotonin from tryptophan in foods. They had found that the mice were deficient in Vit. B6 metabolites accelerating production of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin.

They analyzed the mice when sleeping by looking at the activity of the brain EEGs. They found that compared to the control mice, the mice that were microbiota depleted had more REM and non-REM sleep in the night when mice would be active. The mice that were depleted microbiota also had lesser amounts of non-REM sleep during the day, most of which mice will normally spend sleeping. In other words, this group of mice switched between sleep/wake cycles more frequently than the control group.

The team speculated that the sleep abnormalities were from the lack of serotonin. However, the mechanism that does this still needs to be discovered. They found that the microbe depletion eliminated serotonin in the gut and it is known that that brain serotonin levels can affect sleep/wake cycles.

Future studies using controlled feeding and the administration of certain microbes to determine the gut microbiota would allow researchers to assess each microorganisms individual impact on the sleep/wake cycle. Some research has shown that prebiotics which are nutrients that help support healthy intestinal microbiota, help improve the quality of sleep in humans.

To view the original scientific study click below

Gut microbiota depletion by chronic antibiotic treatment alters the sleep/wake architecture and sleep EEG power spectra in mice.

Is Weight Loss Harder as People Age?

A new study from the University of Warwick and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, has shown that your age is not a barrier to successful weight loss. People who are obese aged 60 and over can lose an the dame amount of weight as someone younger using only changes in their lifestyle.

The research team hopes that what they have found will help dispel societal misconceptions that prevail in regards of effectiveness of programs for weight loss in people that are older. They also hope to dispel myths in regards to older people potential benefits from working at reducing their weight.

The team’s findings are based on their findings after analyses of records from patients at a hospital based obesity service. The team randomly chose 242 patients that were present at the obesity service from 2005-2016 and two groups were compared. One group was under 60 years of age and the other was people from 60 years of age and 78 years of age. They compared the weight they lost of both groups achieved during the time in the service.

All participants measured their body weight before and again after a variety of lifestyle interventions were coordinated and administered in the obesity serve. The reduction by percentage in body weight across both groups was also calculated.

When the two groups were compared, the team found they were statistically equivalent with the age group under 60 showing an average weight loss by 7.3% compared with a reduction in weight loss of 69% in the group 60 and over. These groups also spent similar amounts of time with the service – averaging 33.6 months in the group over 60 and 41.5 months for those under 60 years of age.

The hospital based service employed only lifestyle based changes which were tailored to each individual. These changes focused on psychological support, dietary changes, and encouragement to engage in physical activity. Most of the people had been referred to the service were obese with BMIs usually over 40Kgm-2.

Over 50 co-morbidities of obesity can be reduced when someone loses weight and includes osteoarthritis, anxiety anddepression and diabetes. Obesity is also linked to poor well being and increased mortality.

Losing weight is important at every age, however as we age we are likely developing some of the co-morbidity weight related to obesity. A lot of these conditions mirror the effects of aging so it does seem relevant that losing weight becomes much more important as we age.

There is a variety of reasons why weight loss in older people is discounted. One of these is what is known as an “ageist” perspective which says that losing weight is not as important or as relevant to older people and the ability of older people to lose weight through increased exercise and dietary modifications.

Older people often feel that hospital-based obesity services are not for them. Policymakers and service providers should appreciate how important weight loss in older people with obesity is. Weight loss in this age group can help with maintenance of well being and health and also with the facilitation of healthy aging. Age should not contribute to clinical decisions in regards to the implementation of lifestyle management with the older population.

The team through their study, has shown that age should not be a barrier to lifestyle changes and management of obesity. Rather than putting up barriers to older people who want to access weight loss programs, clinicians should be proactively facilitating the process. To not do so certainly risks further and unnecessary neglect of older people through societal ageist misconceptions.

To view the original scientific study click below

Older age does not influence the success of weight loss through the implementation of lifestyle modification.

Drinking Linked to Decline in Health of Brain

Evidence for the harmful effects of alcohol on brain health has been compelling. And now researchers in the UK and Australia have shown evidence suggesting three periods of dynamic changes in the brain that could be particularly sensitive to the harmful effects of alcohol – gestation (conception to birth), later adolescence (15 to 19 years of age) and older adulthood (over 65 years).

The team warns that these three key periods could increase sensitivity to the effects of environmental exposures such as alcohol and harm prevention policies should take the long view.

Worldwide, around 10% of pregnant women drink alcohol with the rates considerably higher in European countries. Heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, cognitive impairment, and is associated with widespread reductions in brain volume. Data also suggests that even low to moderate consumption during pregnancy is significantly linked to poorer psychological and behavioral outcomes in offspring.

In regards to the adolescent years, more than 20% of 15 to 19 year olds in European and other high income countries report at least occasional binge drinking which is defined as 60g of ethanol on a single occasion.

Studies have shown that the transition to binge drinking in adolescence is linked to reduce brain volume, small to moderate deficits in a range of cognitive functions, and poorer white matter development which is critical to efficient brain functioning.

In older people, alcohol disorders are relatively rare in older adults, however even moderate drinking has been shown to be associated to a small but significant loss of brain volume in midlife. Further studies are needed however, to test whether these structural changes translate into functional impairment.

Additionally, demographic trends could compound the effect of alcohol consumption on brain health. As an example, women are now just as likely as men to consume alcohol and experience alcohol related harms.

It is forecast that global consumption of alcohol will rise further in the next decade. The effects of alcohol use and related harms during the COVID-19 pandemic are unclear, however alcohol use increased in the long term after other major public health crises.

The team suggests that population based interventions such as guidelines on low risk drinking, lower drink driving limits, and alcohol pricing policies need to be accompanied by the development of care and training pathways that take into account the human brain at risk throughout life.

To view the original scientific study click below

Lifetime perspective on alcohol and brain health.

Reversal of Age Related Vision Loss Due to Glaucoma

Scientists at Harvard Medical School have successfully reversed age-related vision loss in mice through turning back the time on aged retina eye cells to bring back youthful functioning of the gene. This work is considered to be the first test of the possibility to reprogram, in a safe manner, complex tissues such as nerve cells found in the eye to an earlier age.

The team also has reversed loss of vision successfully in the mice that have a condition that mimics human glaucoma which is one of the leading causes of blindness globally.

The achievements represent the first successful attempts to reverse glaucoma induced loss of vision instead of merely stemming its progression. If future studies are replicated, this approach would show the way for therapies to promote repairing tissues of various organs and also reverse in humans aging and diseases that are age related.

The study can demonstrate that it is possible to reverse safely the age of complex tissues as the retina and restore its biological function to a youthful state. They caution that the findings need to be replicated in future studies, including in a variety of models of animals before human experiments. However, the results offer conceptual proof and also a pathway to designing treatments for a variety of diseases that are age-related.

If realized through future studies, the findings will possibly be transformative for the treatment of diseases that are age related such as glaucoma and also to the fields of medical therapeutics and biology for disease at large.

For the work they used an adeno-associated virus (AAV) as the vehicle for delivering three youth restoring genes into the retinas in mice – Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4 which during embryonic development are switched on.

The treatment showed multiple effects that were beneficial on the eyes of the mice. It firstly promoted regeneration of the nerve after damage to the optic nerves in mice. It also reversed vision loss in mice that had a condition that mimicked human glaucoma. And then it also reversed loss of vision in animals aging without glaucoma.

The new theory the research team used was based on why humans age. Almost all cells in a humans body have the same DNA molecules with dunctions that are widely diverse. To achieve the specialization of this degree, these cells can only read genes that are type specific. This regulatory function is the purview of the epigenome which is a system of specific patterns turning genes on and off without any alteration of the basic underlying DNA sequence of the gene.

The theory proposes that changes to the epigenome with time causes cells to read genes that are wrong and malfunction which promotes rise to diseases associated with aging. In the current study, the team hypothesizes that if DNA methylation, a way by which methyl groups are added onto DNA, does control aging, then deleting some of its footprints may reverse cell aging inside living organisms and eventually restore them to a more youthful and earlier state. Earlier work has achieved this in cells grown in lab dishes, thus falling short of showing the effect in a living organism. The new findings have demonstrated that the approach could be used in animals as well.

For the current study, the team wanted to use cells in the bodies central nervous system due to the fact that it is the first part of the body that is affected by aging. Following birth, the central nervous is prone to regeneration quickly.

In order to test if the young animals have the capacity to regenerate could be imparted to adult mice, the team had delivery of the modified three-gene combination per an AAV into retinal ganglion cells of adult mice who had optic nerve injury. The treatment resulted in a increase two-fold in the number of retinal ganglion cells surviving following the injury and increase five-fold in nerve regrowth.

At the start of the project, many of the team’s colleagues thought their approval would either be too dangerous or would fail to ever be used. However, their results promote this method is indeed safe and could possibly revolutionize eye treatments along with many other organs that are age affected.

Following the positive findings in mice with injuries of the optic nerve, the team partnered with other colleagues to find out if the three-gene cocktail could restore loss of vision due to glaucoma and also another test to see if the approach could reverse loss of vision stemming from the normal aging process.

In a mouse model that had glaucoma, the treatment led to increased nerve cell electrical activity and a notable increase in visual acuity. Remarkably, it did so following the glaucoma-induced vision loss had already occurred.

Scientists have rarely been successful in regaining visual function following an injury. This new approach which would successfully reverse multiple causes of loss vision in mice without the need for a retinal transplant, is basically a new treatment modality in regenerative medicine. The treatment also worked well in older, year old mice with vision diminishing due to normal aging.

The findings are encouraging and researchers believe that if these confirmed findings in further animal study, they may initiate clinical trials before two years to test the efficacy of this approach in people who have glaucoma.

To view the original scientific study click below

Reprogramming to recover youthful epigenetic information and restore vision.

Link Between Gut Bacteria and Vitamin D

A new study has found links between gut bacteria and the active form of Vitamin D. This study has suggested that gut bacteria may play a vital role in converting inactive Vitamin D into its active, health benefiting form. Vitamin D is essential for maintaining healthy teeth and bones and for a strong immune system. The study has revealed a new understanding of Vitamin D and how it is typically measured.

A variety of studies have suggested that a deficiency in Vitamin D is linked to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis. But the largest randomized clinical trial thus far which comprised of more than 25,000 adults, determined that taking Vitamin D supplement had no effect on health outcomes. And a few studies have suggested that low Vitamin D levels may also be associated with more severe cases of COVID-19 although the research is not conclusive at this time.

When researchers and healthcare professionals need to determine a person’s Vitamin D status they will measure their serum levels of the inactive precursor. This will reflect how much of the vitamin the body stores. However, the vital factor could possibly be how the vitamin is metabolized instead of how much is stored.

The researchers involved in the current study have suggested that might be because these previous studies measured only the precursor form of the vitamin rather than the active hormone. Measures of vitamin D formation and breakdown might be better indicators of underlying health issues and who might best respond to supplementation of this vitamin.

When the researchers for the current study at the University of San Diego in La Jolla measured how much older men had active Vitamin D in their blood, they found that its level was linked to the diversity of the bacteria community living in their gut or what is known as gut microbiome. Gut microbiome live in our digestive tract and play important roles in health and disease risk. Greater gut microbiome diversity is thought to be linked to better health in general.

Levels of the active Vitamin D also correlated with numbers of friendly bacteria that were found in the gut. In contrast, there was no strong link between the inactive, precursor form of the vitamin and friendly bacteria or bacterial diversity.

The team was surprised to find the variety of bacteria types in a person’s gut was closely linked with active Vitamin D. And the correlation between active Vitamin D and microbial diversity remained even following adjustments for factors that are known to determine microbial diversity. These include where in the United States a participant lived, their age, their antibiotic use and their ethnic background.

In fact, the levels of active Vitamin D in each participant’s levels correlated more strongly with microbiome diversity than any of the above factors. This is especially remarkable in that people who live in climates that are sunnier such as California, can synthesize more of their own Vitamin D through ultraviolet light action on their skin.

It appears that it does not matter so much how much Vitamin D a person gets through supplementation or sunlight nor how much the body can store. It really matters how well the body is able to metabolize that into active Vitamin D. This is what clinical trials need to measure in order to get more accurate measures of the vitamins role in health. The team speculates that changing a patient’s microbiota could augment existing treatments for bone density improvements and other health outcomes.

To view the original scientific study click below

Vitamin D Metabolites and the Gut Microbiome.

Short Bursts of Exercise Can Improve Metabolic Health

A study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has found that even physical exercise in short bursts can create changes in the body’s levels of metabolites that can correlate to and might help gauge a person’s cardiovascular, cardiometabolic and long term health. The study shows how a time of 12 minutes consisting of acute cardiopulmonary exercise can impact more than 80% of circulating metabolites and includes pathways associated to a wide range of beneficial health outcomes.

Much is already known about how exercise can affect vascular, cardiac and inflammatory systems in the body. The new study provides an indepth look at what the metabolic impact of physical exercise by connecting certain metabolic pathways to variables of exercise response and the effects this has on long term health.

The MGH study used data from the Framingham Heart Study to access levels of 588 circulating metabolites prior to and immediately following 12 minutes of exercising vigorously in 411 women and men of middle age. They detected promising shifts in quite a number of metabolites for which levels of rest were previously shown to be linked to cardiometabolic disease.

As an example, glutamate which is a key metabolite linked to diabetes, heart disease and decreased longevity, fell by 29%. And DMGV which is a metabolite associated with the increased risk of liver disease and diabetes was lowered by 18%. The team also found that metabolic responses can be regulated by factors besides exercise which includes a person’s body mass index and sex with obesity potentially conferring partial resistance to the benefits of engaging in physical exercise.

Interestingly, the study found that different metabolites routed with different physiologic responses to physical exercise and could create unusual signatures in a person’s bloodstream that reveal if they are physically fit, similar to the way blood tests currently determine how well the liver and kidneys are functioning.

The Framingham Heart Study which begin in 1948 and now includes 3 generations of participants, allowed the researchers to apply the same signatures used in the current study population to stored blood from previous generation of participants. Through studying the long term effects of metabolic signatures of exercise responses, the team was able to predict the future state of a person’s health and how long they are likely to live.

Through this study, there is a better understanding of the molecular underpinnings of how exercise affects the body and how that knowledge could be used to understand the metabolic architecture around patterns of exercise response. Potentially, this approach can target individuals with high blood pressure or a variety of other metabolic risk factors responding to exercise and then set them on a healthier path early in life.

To view the original scientific study click below

Metabolic Architecture of Acute Exercise Response in Middle-Aged Adults in the Community.

Glucosamine as Effective as Regular Exercise in Reducing Death Rates

A recent study led by Dana King, a professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine, along with research partner Jun Xiang, have found that glucosamine supplements may reduce overall mortality almost as well as regular exercise does. The new epidemiological study has provided encouraging results that are good indicators supporting their analysis.

The partners assessed data from 16,686 adults who had completed the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2010. The participants were all at least 40 years of age. They then merged their data with 2015 mortality figures.

After controlling for a variety of factors such as the participants sex, age, activity level and smoking status, they found that taking glucosamine/chondroitin every day for a year or longer was linked to a 39% reduction in all-cause mortality and a 65% reduction in cardiovascular related deaths. This category of disease includes coronary artery disease, stroke and heart disease and is the United States biggest killer.

Once they took everything into account, the impact shown was quite significant. The findings do not imply that anyone should skip regular exercise, but rather that adding this particular supplement would also be beneficial. And while this was an epidemiological study rather than a clinical trial and doesn’t offer definitive proof that this supplement makes death less likely, the results certainly are intriguing.

To view the original scientific study click below

Glucosamine/Chondroitin and Mortality in a US NHANES Cohort.

Offsetting Health Harms Linked to Prolonged Sitting

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exceeding weekly recommended physical activity levels to offset the health harms that are associated with prolonged sitting. This is the 1st recommendation of this kind following additional research showing that an increase in physical activity can reduce the risk of early death which has been linked to being sedentary for a long period of time.

The new guidelines note that all physical activity counts and is great for long term health. The recommendation reflects a large and growing body of evidence that links extensive sedentary time to serious ill health and also a heightened risk of early death. New data recently released has shown that adults who clock up long hours of sedentary time each day can counter these risks through increasing the amount of activity they engage in.

This research which involved more than 44,000 participants from 4 countries who wore activity trackers, has revealed that a high amount per day of sedentary lifestyle as defined in the study as in excess of 10 hrs, is linked to significantly increased risk of death and this is particularly true of people who are not physically active.

However, 30-40 minutes daily of physical activity that is moderate to vigorous in intensity will substantially weaken the risks. This brings the risks down to levels associated with very low amounts of sedentary time.

The guidelines do state that there isn’t enough evidence to recommend specific maximum thresholds for sedentary behavior. However, everyone irrespective of their abilities or age should try to limit their daily sedentary time and replace it with physical activity at any intensity.

The research shows that all physical activity counts. This could be a variety of activities such as a walk around the block, climbing stairs instead of taking elevators, going for a bike ride or run, gardening, a team sport, or a high intensity interval training workout.

The WHO guidance recommends adding up to a weekly amount of 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity or at least 75 to 100 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity. However, any amount of physical activity is better than none at all.

Boosting levels of physical activity doesn’t only benefit physical and mental health, but will help to stave off the risk of early death. It is also likely the benefit the global economy through higher productivity, lower rates of attendance, and lower rates of working age sickness and death.

The new guidelines consisted of more than 40 scientists from 6 continents. They provided a consensus on the latest science in regards to the health impacts of sedentary behavior and physical activity from early childhood to older age. Key guidelines for adults which include those with disabilities or long term conditions at any age are:

Aim to engage in 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity or an equivalent combination of both and muscle strengthening activities such as core conditioning and weights at moderate or greater intensity on 2 or more days per week.

Reduce sedentary behavior

People 65 and over should engage in physical activity that stresses functional balance and strength training at a moderate or greater level of intensity 3 or more times per week.

Women should engage in regular physical activity while pregnant and also after birth to include activities that include aerobic and muscle strengthening Mild stretching may also be beneficial.

Physical activity that is of light intensity won’t cause a substantial increase in breathing or the heart rate and includes activities such as strolling.

Physical activities that are of moderate intensity increase heart rate and invokes to some degree breathlessness but it is still possible to talk. This includes dancing, brisk walking and raking leaves.

Physical activity that is of vigorous intensity may substantially increase the heart and breathing rate and includes running/jogging, cycling, carrying heavy objects, swimming, digging in the garden, walking up stairs and playing tennis.

There still are gaps in the knowledge such as where exactly the bar is set for “too much sitting” is. However, research is continuing to answer some of the unknowns. The current guidelines are timely given the global pandemic which has people confined inside for lengthy periods and has created an increase in sedentary lifestyle.

A person can still protect their health and offset the harmful health effects of not being physically active. As emphasized, any activity counts. There are a variety of indoor options that require minimal amounts of space and/or equipment such as active play with pets and children, climbing stairs, dancing, and online yoga and Pilates classes.

To view the original scientific study click below

World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour.

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