New exercise guidelines: Move more, sit less, start younger

CHICAGO — Move more, sit less and get kids active as young as age 3, say new federal guidelines that stress that any amount and any type of exercise helps health.

The advice is the first update since the government’s physical activity guidelines came out a decade ago. Since then, the list of benefits of exercise has grown.

“Doing something is better than doing nothing, and doing more is better than doing something,” said Dr. Donald LloydJones, a preventive medicine expert at Northwestern University in Chicago.

Only 20 percent of Americans get enough exercise now, and the childhood obesity problem has prompted the push to aim younger to prevent poor health later in life.

Highlights of the advice released Monday at an American Heart Association conference in Chicago and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: Children and teens: The biggest change: Start young. Guidelines used to begin at age 6, but the new ones say preschoolers ages 3 through 5 should be encouraged to take part in active play throughout the day.

From ages 6 through 17, at least an hour of moderate-tovigorous activity throughout the day is recommended.

Adults: Duration stays the same — at least 2½ to 5 hours of moderate-intensity or 1¼ to 2½ hours of vigorous activity a week, plus at least two days that include muscle-strengthening exercise like pushups or lifting weights.

One key change: It used to be thought that aerobic activity had to be done for at least 10 minutes. Now even short times are known to help. Even a single episode of activity gives shortterm benefits such as lowering blood pressure, reducing anxiety and improving sleep.