Hi, it's Gretchen Reynolds here. Welcome to Radio Headspace and to Friday.

Thanks so much for having me as your guest host this week. It's been great to share

all the ways that movement can improve our lives. Now I know that it's difficult to fit

in a workout, but the good news is that we don't have to spend a lot of time exercising.

So today, let's get into how long we really need to move in order to reap the benefits

of exercise, how to incorporate some physical activity into a busy routine, and some tips

to stay motivated.

So how much should we be exercising during the day? There have been studies showing that

four seconds of exercise actually has an impact on health, but there's a trade-off between

what scientists call the duration and the intensity of your exercise. If you want to

do a really short workout, you can get tons of health benefits from it by making it intense.

So instead of going for a walk, you go for a run, or even better, you sprint. But if

you don't enjoy intense exercise, you can get the exact same benefits by doing easier exercise

for a bit longer. The question is, of course, how long? The best science suggests if you

want to accumulate moderate exercise, like going for a brisk walk, going up and down the

stairs if you just stroll on them. You need about 30 minutes of exercise over the course

of a day. That doesn't have to come in one big clump. There's growing evidence that

you can accumulate exercise in any amount, and that means 30 seconds, one minute, preferably

two minutes. Anything that you can manage counts. Repeated studies have shown that in some

ways, getting your exercise throughout the day is actually better for your help than one

30 minute walk. It helps you control your blood sugar a little better. It helps your blood

pressure to stay lower. Repeated bouts of very short exercise can improve endurance. They

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