The American College of Sport Medicine's (ACSM) general exercise guidelines are evidence-based recommendations to establish baselines for maintaining physical health and decreasing the risk of all-cause mortality. |
The recommendation for healthy adults is:
- Perform moderate-intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 30 minutes, five times per week OR vigorous-intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes, three times per week
- Resistance exercises for the major muscle groups a minimum of 2 times per week
- Flexibility exercises for the major muscle groups a minimum of 2 times per week
What is moderate-intensity aerobic activity?
- You are able to talk, but not sing during the exercise. Examples include brisk walking, slow biking, doubles tennis, active home chores, etc.
What is vigorous-intensity aerobic activity?
- You are not able to talk and are slightly out of breath. Examples inlcude jogging, fast bicycling, singles tennis, swimming laps, etc.
What if I have health constraints or have never exercised before?
- Talking to a physician before beginning a new exercise program can be beneficial! Physicians can assess if we are prepared to begin exercise and provide guidelines to begin.
- Light intensity exercise is appropriate for most apparently healthy adults without the need for a medical clearance from a physician.
- Discretionary sedentary time should be limited to a maximum of two hours. Decreasing sedentary time and engaging in additional physical activity have health benefits regardless of the overall duration of the activities!