ACSM Guidelines for aerobic exercise

Type

• Improvement in health and CRF of All Adults: o Rhythmic, aerobic type exercises involving large muscle groups and requires little skill to perform is recommended for improving CRF. • Individuals with Adequate Skills & Fitness Levels: o Exercise and sports requiring skill to perform or higher levels of fitness • Continuous • A submax energy requirement, sustained throughout the training period, is imposed. • 20 - 60 minutes • In healthy individuals, most effective way to improve endurance! • Interval • Work or exercise is followed by a properly prescribed relief or rest interval. • Few seconds - several minutes • In healthy individuals, tends to improve strength and power • Circuit • Employs a series of exercise activities • Can improve strength and endurance by stressing both aerobic and anaerobic systems • Circuit-Interval • Combined circuit and interval training is effective because of the interaction of aerobic and anaerobic production of ATP. • Delay in need for glycolysis and the production of lactic acid prior to the availability of oxygen supplying the ATP.

Volume

• May be used to estimate the gross EE of an individual's Ex Rx. • Most Adults: • Target volume of > = 500 - 1000 METs / min / wk • Increasing pedometer step counts by > 2000 steps / day to reach a daily step count > 7000 steps / day is beneficial • Use steps / min combined with currently recommended time / duration of exercise • Exercising below these volumes may still be beneficial for individuals unable or unwilling to reach this amount of exercise

Time

• Moderate intensity: 30 - 60 minutes ( > 150 min / wk) • Vigorous intensity: 20 - 60 minutes ( > 75 min / wk) • Or a weekly combination of moderate and vigorous intensity exercise / day to attain the volumes of exercise recommended in the following discussion • Less than 20 minutes of exercise per day can be beneficial, especially in previously sedentary individuals. • For weight management, longer durations of exercise ( > 60 - 90 mins / day) may be needed, especially in individuals who spend large amounts of time in sedentary behaviors. • May be performed continuously or intermittently • May be accumulated over the course of a day in one or more sessions of physical activity that total at least 10 mins / session

Frequency

• Moderate intensity: done at least 5 days / wk • Vigorous intensity: done at least 3 days / wk • > 5 days might increase risk of incidence of MS injury • However, consider type • Or a weekly combination of 3 - 5 days of moderate and vigorous intensity exercise • Improvements in CRF are attenuated with exercise frequencies > 3 days / wk and a plateau in improvement with exercise done > 5 days / wk.

Intensity

• Most Adults: • Moderate intensity: (40% - < 60%) heart rate reserve o Those with an exercise capacity of 11 - 14 METs • Vigorous intensity: (60% - < 90%) heart rate reserve o Highly trained athletes • Individuals who are deconditioned: o Light to Moderate intensity: (30% - < 40%)heart rate reserve