ACSM Guidelines for Exercise
Do you need help finding out how much you should be exercising? Many people tend to over exercise or under exercise due to the lack of knowledge of what is recommended for their specific age group.
According to the ACSM, adults (18-55yrs) are recommended 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity per week, along with 2 days of resistance training or you can do 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity per week still including those 2 days of resistance training.
Additional health benefits are obtained when individuals reach 300 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity per week or 150 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity while still including 2 days of resistance training.
For children and adolescents (6-17yrs), the ACSM recommends that they participate in 60 minutes of aerobic physical activity daily, which most kids reach those 60 minutes during their gym classes in school. In addition to resistance and bone loading activities on at least 3 days/week.
For older adults (55+), it is recommended that they try to follow along the adult population guidelines for aerobic exercise and resistance training to the best of their ability.
The ACSM also recommends incorporating flexibility exercises for at least two or three days out at the week to help improve an individual’s range of motion. Along with flexibility, the adult population is recommended to incorporate neuromotor exercises into their routines two or three times as well per week to help improve an individual’s motor skills. Especially for older adults, such individuals can benefit from working on and improving their balance, coordination and gait (walking pattern) to lengthen their life.
Many individuals fail to reach these requirements across the United States, so know that you know the recommended guidelines you can improve your health today!
Resource:
U.S Department of Health and Human Services. 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Washington (DC): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2008 [cited 2021 July 29]. Available from: http://health.gov/paguidelines/pdf/paguide.pdf