doesn’t like exercise. He’s made documentaries about it, written books about it and experimented with it, but for the science broadcaster and author, exercise is merely something to be endured.
“The reality is I force myself out there, I sweat a lot and never at any point do I say ‘boy, this is enjoyable’. I quite like the moment when I stop,” he tells Insight.
And he’s not alone.
Exercise scientist, Professor Tim Olds, says the majority of Australians aren’t meeting the Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour , which suggests 150 to 300 minutes of moderately intense physical activity, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorously intense physical activity, plus two muscle strengthening sessions, each week.
“Over 50 per cent of adults say they're meeting the guidelines … but when you measure them using devices like Fitbits, it comes out at much, much less - perhaps 10 per cent actually meet it,” he says.
Currently, 60 per cent of Australians are overweight and 30 per cent of Australians are obese, so - are the guidelines working? And how do we motivate people to get off the couch and move more?
Insight teams up with Dr Michael Mosley and some of Australia’s leading exercise experts to dissect the most common messages around exercise and ask how do you know what’s best for you?
The episode airs Tuesday 26 June at 8.30pm.
Next week, in part two of Insight’s exercise special, we examine the role of exercise in treating chronic health conditions and ask, can exercise be medicine?
