I find that most of my clients along with much of the general population are unaware of the recommended guidelines for physical activity for healthy adults ages (18 – 65).
The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association recently came out with these new guidelines:
CARDIO/AEROBIC: Moderate Intensity for 30 minutes five days a week or a minimum of 20 minutes of vigorous exercise for three days a week.
MUSCULAR Strength and Endurance:- Twice a week on non-consecutive days – 8 – 10 exercises in the range of 8 – 12 repetitions per exercise.
These recommendations are in addition to light intensity exercises utilized in daily living activities.
While there are many people who exceed these basic requirements, more than 75% of the U.S. population is sedentary. Therefore, these guidelines serve as a baseline. They apply to those who are sedentary, exercising inconsistently or are overweight. Overweight people may need to exceed these requirements in order to lose weight and to maintain the weight loss.
Bottom line – everyone can benefit from regular exercise. Even those with a known disease (Heart, Diabetes, COPD etc.) need to exercise with specific guidelines relevant to their condition. Everyone has individual needs and there is no one size fits all formula. Ideally each person should have a custom program designed for them. These are just guidelines to be aware of and to keep in mind.
