No rest for the busy: Research

It has been drummed into our heads: 30 minutes a day of exercise is the key to optimum health. And Australians have taken that message to heart judging from the morning and evening strollers that have taken to our footpaths.

But now, new America research from Harvard Medical School suggests that it's not enough to control weight gain.

Professor David Dunstan from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute told ABC news this morning that while there is no set figure for daily exercise it is likely to be higher than 30 minutes and more up towards 60 minutes a day.

He says while this study applied to middle aged and older women, he is not sure that applies to men. But he made the obvious point: that to prevent weight gain people need to ensure the energy burnt is equal to or more than the amount of energy being taken in as food.

"So in a society where we consume more than what we expend, we possibly need to look at more than that 30 minutes and more up towards that 60 minutes if we want to prevent weight gain," he says.

He says the US guidelines already state that to achieve maximum weight maintenance, more than 30 minutes exercise may be necessary – even getting as high as 300 minutes of exercise a week.

And it is not just for weight maintenance. Apparently other conditions and recommendations are about to get an overhaul in line with new research studies.

Next step for an ambitious researcher? A research study on how to fit 300 hours of exercise into one week.

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