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How Much Exercise is Needed to Maintain Health?

Posted December 4, 2007 at 05:00 PM by Megan Hueter

Section: In The News, His Fitness, Cardio Training, Strength Training, His Health, Physical Health, Lifestyle Health

The American College of Sports Medicine recently released 2007 updates for recommendations on the quantity of exercise needed to maintain good physical health of adults.  This is valuable information, because it gives guys across America an idea of how important exercise can be to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The ACSM is one of the most accredited sources of information in the United States (and all over the world), when it comes to exercise prescription and chronic disease prevention.  Before this year, the latest prescription for exercise of healthy adults was from 1995. Since that time, more than 10 years of have passed. New science, technology and a growing population – and growing obesity problem – have added to a more broad understanding of exactly how beneficial physical activity is toward the quality of life of adults.

It is important to note that the following recommendations are simply to MAINTAIN good health in adults.  It is not a program to gain strength or to promote weight loss. This is simply something every adult without disability or chronic disease should do to live a healthy life.

The 2007 update includes the following recommendations for aerobic activity:
“To promote and maintain health, all healthy adults aged 18–65 yr need moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 min on five days each week—or, vigorous-intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 min on three days each week.”

Basically, one can perform the recommendation by walking briskly (noticeably accelerate the heart rate) for 30 minutes twice during the week then jogging for 20 minutes on the other two days.

You can also break up the 30 minute walk by doing bouts lasting at least 10 minutes (for example, walking 10 minutes before work, 10 minutes at lunch, and 10 minutes after work).

Vigorous-intensity activity [recommended minimum 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week] is exemplified by “jogging, and causes rapid breathing and a substantial increase in heart rate.”

It is important to remember that this recommended amount of physical activity is IN ADDITION to activities of daily life (such as self care, cooking, shopping, walking to the parking lot, etc.

It is also important to realize that resistance training is needed for adults to maintain good health.

The 2007 update includes the following recommendation for strength/resistance training:“To promote and maintain good health and physical independence”—“It is recommended that 8–10 exercises be performed on two or more nonconsecutive days each week using the major muscle groups. To maximize strength development, a resistance (weight) should be used that allows 8–12 repetitions of each exercise resulting in volitional fatigue.”

Strengthening activities can include a weight training program, weight bearing calisthenics exercises, stair climbing, and resistance exercise that use the major muscle groups.

To read the rest of this report, visit the ACSM update.

This type of information begs guys to ask themselves the question - Am I doing what I need to be doing in order to stay healthy??

Research sources and for more information: [ACSM update]; [picture1]; [picture2]

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Tags: acsm, aerobic activity, aha, exercise frequency, exercise volume, fitness, health, healthy adults, men, men's health, physical health, reccomendation, strength training, weight room

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