Chances are, you’re not doing enough of that (moving, that is) and your health is suffering, according to a new study in Preventive Medicine. Researchers monitored the physical activity of 1,000 men and women and found that while men averaged 30 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous exercise—like brisk walking or running—women only averaged about 18 minutes. More from Prevention: 10 Reasons To Move More It’s no secret that exercise helps everything from depression to metabolic syndrome—so why are women skimping on it? A lack of confidence may be to blame, says Paul Loprinzi, PhD, an assistant professor of exercise science at Bellarmine University and one of the study’s authors. “Some evidence indicates that women, compared to men, have less confidence in their ability to overcome their exercise-related barriers,” Dr. Loprinzi says. And that lack of confidence may stem from women’s childhoods, adds study coauthor Bradley Cardinal, PhD, a professor at Oregon State University. “We know from other studies that parents are more likely to ‘rough house’ and play with boys more than girls during childhood,” he says. Add to that a political layer: the average participant in the study was 48 years old, and so grew up before Title IX—the 1972 law requiring gender equality in federally funded educational programs—would have really kicked in. “At least some of these participants would not have had the opportunities to experience physical activity and sport in the same way a young person would today,” says Dr. Cardinal. More from Prevention: The Best Butt Workout But it’s not too late. Here’s how to overcome your exercise barriers: Don’t be intimidated. If you find 30 minutes daunting, chunk your exercise in small intervals, as little as two minutes. It all counts! Move with purpose. Keep movement at the forefront of your mind to nudge you into following sneaky exercise strategies, like parking further away, taking the stairs, or marching in place during TV commercials. Get creative. Turn waiting in line for a dressing room into an opportunity to do squats. And above all, says Dr. Cardinal, get up: It’s best to avoid sitting for long periods. More from Prevention: Love Your Legs!
