A few tips for a healthy exercise regimen

Guest Commentary:

I was chatting with my nephews on the phone this week and out of nowhere they asked me, “what do you do all day?” I immediately laughed and asked, “what do you mean?”

“Well, where do you go to work and what do you do at work.” I explained to them that I encourage and motivate people to live a healthier life through healthy eating and exercising. Their response, “so you exercise all day?” Well, I don’t actually exercise all day, however I do have an active job that requires me to lift heavy things and move my body around in various ways.  

This got me thinking about how much exercise is enough? How much exercise is too much? What types of exercise is best for your particular health fitness goal.   These are all questions that clients, friends, and family members ask me. There is not always a simple answer, which is what we all really want to know. Long periods of sedentary behavior (such as sitting at a desk or watching TV), are considered a detriment to our health even if we are active outside of this time.

American College of Sports Medicine’s basic recommendations are categorized by cardiorespiratory exercise, resistance exercise, flexibility exercise and neuromotor exercise and are as follows:

Cardiorespiratory Exercise

Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. 

Exercise recommendations can be met through 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (five days per week) or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (three days per week).

One continuous session and multiple shorter sessions (of at least 10 minutes) are both acceptable to accumulate desired amount of daily exercise.  

Gradual progression of exercise time, frequency and intensity is recommended for best adherence and least injury risk.

People unable to meet these minimums can still benefit from some activity.

Resistance Exercise

Adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment.

Very light or light intensity is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults starting exercise.

Two to four sets of each exercise will help adults improve strength and power.

For each exercise, 8-12 repetitions improve strength and power, 10-15 repetitions improve strength in middle-age and older persons starting exercise, and 15-20 repetitions improve muscular endurance.

Adults should wait at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions.

Flexibility Exercise

Adults should do flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week to improve range of motion.

Each stretch should be held for 10-30 seconds to the point of tightness or slight discomfort.

Repeat each stretch two to four times, accumulating 60 seconds per stretch.

Static, dynamic, ballistic and PNF stretches are all effective.

Flexibility exercise is most effective when the muscle is warm. Try light aerobic activity or a hot bath to warm the muscles before stretching.

Neuromotor Exercise

Neuromotor exercise (sometimes called “functional fitness training”) is recommended for two or three days per week.

Exercises should involve motor skills (balance, agility, coordination and gait), proprioceptive exercise training and multifaceted activities (tai ji and yoga) to improve physical function and prevent falls in older adults.

Twenty to 30 minutes per day is appropriate for neuromotor exercise. 

After reading all this, you may be thinking that this is a lot of information and even a lot of exercise.  If you are beginning an exercise routine or trying to incorporate more or a new style of training into your routine.  Start small with 10 minutes 2-3 days per week of the activity and build from there every week.  Try to keep a journal of your exercise and/or keep track using an app. That way you can track your progress and adjust your program based on what is working or not working.  Last of all have fun!  Get moving and encourage others to do the same.

Liz Whalen is a personal trainer and health fitness specialist who lives and works in Libby. She blogs at lizwhalenhfs.com.