How much exercise should I do?
The long standing recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that health gains can come from as little as 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity most days of the week, with more duration and intensity providing greater health benefit.
If 30 minutes becomes easy or if you are searching for greater health benefits, weight loss or avoidance of weight gain, try progressing towards 60 minutes.
Which is better — 30 minutes of exercise every day, or one hour of exercise three times a week?
Longer sessions of exercise have no clear advantage over shorter, more frequent sessions of activity. Cardiovascular fitness can be enhanced by any type of aerobic activity. The most important guideline is to make regular physical activity part of your lifestyle.
So, what is the bottom line? The more active you are, the greater the benefits.
What if I have had a previous injury or experience pain during exercise?
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) recommends that anyone with a previous injury have an annual physical with their PT.
A physical therapist can help your know what exercises to do in the presence of pain and can help form a home exercise program that is right for you.
November, 2009 |
