How Much Exercise Do We Really Need? The WHO Guidelines

Full script

Read the whole talk.

All slides in one place. Read it through once, then practice slide by slide.

1. 01How Much Exercise Do We Really Need?

   Good evening, everyone. I work at a desk all day, and I used to think exercise meant going to the gym five times a week. Since I didn't have time for that, I did nothing. Then I read the World Health Organization's guidelines, and they changed my mind.

   大家晚上好。我整天坐在办公桌前工作，以前我以为运动就是每周去健身房五次。因为没有那么多时间，我干脆什么都不做。后来，我读了世界卫生组织的指南，想法就改变了。

2. 02The Weekly Goal

   According to the WHO's 2020 guidelines, adults should do between one hundred fifty and three hundred minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking, or seventy-five to one hundred fifty minutes of vigorous activity, like running.

   根据世卫组织2020年的指南，成年人每周应该进行150到300分钟的中等强度运动，比如快走；或者75到150分钟的高强度运动，比如跑步。

   Source: World Health Organization, "WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour" (2020)

3. 03What That Means Per Day

   One hundred fifty minutes sounds like a lot, but it's only about thirty minutes a day, five days a week. A brisk walk to work and back could almost do it.

   150分钟听起来很多，但其实只是每天30分钟左右，每周五天。上下班快走一趟，差不多就够了。

4. 04Don't Forget Muscles

   The guidelines also recommend muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days a week. That can be as simple as squats, push-ups, or carrying heavy shopping bags.

   指南还建议，每周至少两天做增强肌肉的运动。这可以很简单，比如深蹲、俯卧撑，或者拎着沉重的购物袋。

   Source: World Health Organization, "WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour" (2020)

5. 05How Many People Reach the Goal?

   So how are we doing? Not very well. According to WHO data, about thirty-one percent of adults worldwide, around one point eight billion people, did not get enough physical activity in 2022. That's higher than in 2010.

   那么，我们做得怎么样呢？不太好。根据世卫组织的数据，2022年，全世界约31%的成年人，也就是大约18亿人，身体活动量不足。这个比例比2010年还要高。

   Source: World Health Organization / PAHO, "Nearly 1.8 billion adults at risk of disease from not doing enough physical activity" (June 2024)

6. 06Some Is Better Than None

   Here's the message that helped me most. The WHO guidelines say that doing some physical activity is better than doing none. You don't have to reach the full goal on day one.

   对我帮助最大的是这样一句话。世卫组织的指南说，做一些身体活动总比完全不做要好。你不需要第一天就达到全部目标。

   Source: World Health Organization, "WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour" (2020)

7. 07What I Do Now

   Now I walk to the station instead of taking the bus, use the stairs at the office, and do two short home workouts each week. It adds up to more than the minimum, and I barely notice it.

   现在，我不坐公交车，而是走路去车站，在公司走楼梯，每周在家做两次简短的锻炼。加起来已经超过了最低标准，而我几乎没感觉到负担。

8. 08Conclusion

   To sum up, the goal is smaller than many of us think: about thirty minutes of movement on most days, plus some strength work. Start small, and remember that every bit of movement counts. Thank you.

   总结一下，这个目标比很多人想象的要小：大多数日子活动30分钟左右，再加上一些力量练习。从小处开始，记住，每一点活动都算数。谢谢大家。