Writing for the Washington Post, Leana Wen, a professor at  George Washington University's Milken Institute of Public Health, explains why you shouldn't let "perfect be the enemy of the good" when it comes to exercise.

Even a little exercise can lead to significant health benefits

"Imagine a medical therapy that reduces your risk of stroke and heart disease by 27 percent," Wen writes. "It cuts your chance of developing cancer by 12 percent. And it decreases your overall risk of premature death by 31 percent."

If such a treatment existed, it would be considered a "miracle," Wen writes, but in reality, this "miracle" already exists, and decades of research has demonstrated its benefits for people's health.

According to Wen, research has shown that exercise helps improve physical health, emotional wellness, and cognitive stability. During the pandemic, some studies also found that physical activity was associated with lower rates of hospitalization and death from COVID-19, as well as a reduced risk of developing long COVID.

In a new systematic  review  published in the  British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers analyzed data from more than 30 million participants who were tracked for an average of 10 years and found that physical activity levels were significantly associated with health and longevity.

Although the most significant results were observed in individuals who exercised at least 150 minutes a week, the researchers also found that even exercising half that time (75 minutes) was enough to see health benefits.

Overall, 75 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise each week was associated with a 23% decline in the risk of premature death. In addition, this amount of exercise lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease by 17% and the risk of cancer by 7%. Certain cancers, including head and neck, myeloid leukemia, myeloma, and gastric cardia, saw even greater reductions in risk, ranging from 14% to 26%.

According to the researchers, if everyone participated in at least 75 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week — or just 11 minutes a day — then around 1 in 10 early deaths could be averted.

"The 75-minute finding is important," Wen writes. People working multiple jobs or caring for children and other family members may find 150 minutes of exercise too difficult to achieve. And while clinicians may say more exercise is better, knowing that "just 15 minutes of exercise five times a week can have a meaningful impact" is helpful, too.

To get to 75 minutes a week, Wen recommends incorporating just a little more activity into your daily routine. For example, you can park farther away from work and take the stairs instead of the elevator. People who work primarily desk-based jobs can also set up notifications to remind them to get up periodically or change some video meetings to phone calls so they can walk during them.

People who want to do more than 75 minutes of exercise a week are also welcome to, Wen writes, noting that there is a "dose-response relationship" so "more is better." However, she also added that any added benefit beyond 150 minutes of exercise a week is proportionally less.

"My main takeaway about exercise is that some is better than none," Wen writes. "This is one area where we really shouldn't let perfect be the enemy of the good. Starting somewhere will make a difference." (Wen, Washington Post, 4/6)