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Let's Get Physical
21 September 2013

Let's Get Physical

We all know that being active is good for our health. But how much activity is enough? And can half an hour in the gym at lunchtime make up for a day sat on your backside in the office? Answering these questions is tricky as most studies just focus on specific things, such as how much exercise a person does each day, rather than the overall picture. Researchers have now used sophisticated techniques to map different types of activity minute-by-minute in 100 men, building up a unique profile for each. Their results show that activity levels vary widely, and while some men may be very active in certain areas (for example, hitting the gym regularly), they score poorly in others, such as sitting down all day. Clearly, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to physical activity, so better monitoring will help to provide more tailored information and advice.

Written by Kat Arney

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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