ANCIENT Greek scholars realised long ago that physical activity is a requirement for good health. Hippocrates proposed that "eating alone will not keep a man well — he must also take exercise". Roughly 2,000 years on, the empirical evidence for physical activity as an essential part of a healthy lifestyle is overwhelming. Physical activity has a demonstrably important effect on the risk of disease and mortality outcomes. So, you might expect that by now we would also be able to give people clear advice on exactly how much physical exercise is "enough". But scientists recently claimed World Health Organisation recommendations on the amount of exercise we should do are too low to beat chronic diseases. Most countries have attempted to develop public health guidelines advocating a minimum amount of physical activity, usually along the lines of doing at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week. So, surely it should be easy for people to self-assess the effectiveness o...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.