The most daunting question regarding fitness is calculating how long to exercise. From the United States Surgeon General to the Institution of Medicine, there is a 30-minute discrepancy. In recent health news, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report recommending that adults spend at least an hour of moderate to intense physical activity. For example a daily brisk walk is twice the minimum goal of the 30 minutes recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General.

The original health recommendation was based on the research that found 30 minutes of physical activity sufficient enough to reduce the risk of chronic diseases; such as diabetes, heart disease, and colon cancer. The latest report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) heightened the exercise bar after finding that 30 minutes of activity five to six days a week would be insufficient to enable a target weight for the majority of the population – with the maximized health benefit.

In essence, recent theories suggest that Americans are consuming excessively more calories than they are burning. The recent exercise recommendations strive to balance the excess in caloric intake. Nonetheless, fitness programs are subjective. Weight is contingent upon several factors: age, height, and weight, current level of daily activity, and caloric intake. Not to mention, the span of time each person exercises depends on the type of physical activities one engages in.

A case and point of the exercise guidelines is applicable to a person who walks three to fives miles a day. In order to burn adequate calories, an hour of walking time is necessary for weight loss. However, if a person runs or jogs, the high intensity of the work-out can be accomplished in 20 to 30 minutes a day most days of the week.