4 New Health Numbers You Need to Aim For

60
For decades, doctors have been saying the same thing: Get your heart rate elevated for 30 minutes a day, five days a week. That's the current minimum amount of exercise suggested by the American Heart Association in order to reduce the likelihood of heart disease. Well, get ready to adjust your treadmill timer. A 2015 review of the relationship between exercise and heart failure in the journal Circulation found that 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days a week can cut the chance of heart failure by 19 percent. That's almost twice the 10 percent reduced risk found in people who follow the current advice. A whole hour may seem like a lot, but you don't need to get the extra 30 minutes all at once: Taking the stairs to your office, walking more, and exercising at home during commercial breaks add up.