New research at Oregon State University suggests small amounts
of exercise — even as small as one- and two-minute increments
that add up to 30 minutes per day — can be just as beneficial as
longer bouts of exercise achieved by a trip to the gym. The
nationally representative study of more than 6,000 American
adults shows that being active may be just as beneficial as
structured exercise. "Our results suggest that engaging in an
active lifestyle ... compared to a structured exercise approach,
may be just as beneficial in improving various health outcomes,"
said Paul Loprinzi, lead author of the study, which was
published in the American Journal of Health Promotion. For
example, rather than sitting while talking on the phone, pace
around while talking, he said. Brad Cardinal, an OSU professor
of exercise and sport science and co-author of the study, said
one of the most common barriers people cite to getting enough
exercise is lack of time. He said the results of this study show
that simply building movement in