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The 4th season of Singapore’s National Steps Challenge organised by the Health Promotion Board is underway! This time, they’ve added an exciting new category, MVPA ,that will boost your chances of scoring those business class tickets to New York! But wait – what exactly is MVPA? As much as Singapore loves its acronyms, this one is universal and it stands for “Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activities”.
What determines whether or not your exercise is intense enough? This is where your fitness tracker comes in. To be able to attain MVPA, you have to reach at least 64% of your maximum heart rate. How do you calculate your maximum heart rate? It is dependent on your age and fitness level, but the general formula is : 220- Your Age.
All you need is just 150 minutes weekly at the bare minimum to see a significant improvement in your health!
Some moderate activities you can consider include brisk walking or cycling, while vigorous activities would definitely involve breaking a sweat – by jogging, aerobic dance or cycling uphill. Even household chores like mopping the floor or mowing the lawn can be a form of exercise! It’s easy to work just 30 minutes of MVPA into your daily routine, regardless of your fitness level.
If your end goal is weight loss, not merely maintaining your physique, then you might want to consider focusing more on the ‘V’ of MVPA – pick activities such as jumping rope, HIIT workouts or boxing to burn up to 500 calories per session!
While there are many benefits of MVPA such as lowering of blood pressure and reducing stress, the winning argument would probably be that incorporating just those 30 minutes of MVPA into your daily routine prolongs your life.
According to a 2017 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers found that just half an hour daily of light physical activity (like a leisurely stroll through a shopping centre) reduced mortality risk by 12% for women aged 63 to 99. By taking a brisk walk or cycling, they reduced their mortality risk by 39%! Now that’s something to smile about.
There are many workout options available on GuavaPass that will help you fulfil those MVPA requirements and reach the number of steps you’ll need to win prizes for the National Steps Challenge! From dance and Zumba classes to CrossFit and spinning, we’ve got them all.