We are fortunate to live in Southwest Florida and Estero in particular. Given the endless sunny days we experience, many year-round outdoor activities exist.

But are you making the most of the activities available?

Did you know that as little as 10 minutes of exercise daily provides significant health benefits? A study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ)¹ indicated that people who do about 11 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise daily were less likely to die than those who only got about two minutes a day.

The guideline for Americans is around 10-20 minutes per day of vigorous exercise or 20-40 minutes per day of moderate exercises, such as taking a brisk walk, playing doubles tennis, or raking the yard.

However, even as little as 75 minutes a week of physical activity can extend your life by nearly two years, according to U.S. researchers who found some benefits regardless of body weight².

It is surprising but true that 20 minutes per day of moderate exercise can prolong your life span by up to 7 years, even if you begin after 50 years of age³!! The Allina Health article below states, “150 minutes of exercise or more each week increased life expectancy by about seven years over those who didn’t do regular moderate exercise.”

As Zachery Mack also reported in Best Life⁴, “While moderate and vigorous exercise may bring plenty of benefits, other recent research has shown that even low-intensity workouts can be life-lengthening in their way.

For example, one new 2022 study published in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine, which examined the benefits of moderate increases in exercise levels, found that adding as little as 10 minutes of walking to your routine may translate into a lower risk of premature death.” This benefit was also seen regardless of weight, age, sex, and health conditions.”