Guildlines for Active Adults

Physical activity is any bodily movement produced by the contraction of skeletal muscle that increases energy expenditure above a baseline. Your baseline is any light-intensity activity of daily life, such as standing, walking, and lifting lightweight objects. People who do only baseline activities are considered to be inactive. Even climbing a few flights of stairs is not considered intense enough to be an activity. Therefore, bodily movement can be divided into two categories: inactive for normal daily activities and health-enhancing physical activity which, when added to baseline activity, produces healthful benefits. Health-enhancing physical activity such as brisk walking, dancing, swimming, lifting weights, jogging, bicycle riding, tennis, gold (without a cart) and doing yoga are all examples of physical activity.

Increasing your baseline activities is sensible for several reasons; it helps to burn calories, which can help in maintaining a healthy body weight. Weight-bearing activities may improve bone health. Short sessions of activity are appropriate for people who were inactive and have started to gradually increase their level of activity, and for older adults whose activity may be limited by chronic conditions.

Aerobic physical activity is divided into four categories: inactive, low, medium, and high. Low amounts of activity provide some benefits; medium amounts provide substantial benefits; and high amounts provide even greater benefits. Inactive offers no health benefits as it does not increase activity beyond your normal baseline.

While low levels of moderate-intensity physical activity are clearly preferable to an inactive lifestyle, the health benefits are minor if activity is less than 150 minutes a week. Medium activity of 150 to 300 minutes a week can add up to substantial health benefits, with activity at the high end of this range having more extensive health benefits than activity at the low end. High activity of more than 300 minutes a week provides additional health benefits on a sustained level. High activity is more than the equivalent of 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week.

Physical activity is important for many reasons and in addition to the obvious benefits, it gives people a chance to have fun with friends and family, enjoy the outdoors, and participate in more intensive physical activity or sporting events. Physical fitness can also improve personal appearance.

Aerobic physical activity can be divided into four categories: inactive, low, medium, and high. Obviously, low amounts of activity provide some benefits; medium amounts provide more benefits; and high amounts provide even greater benefits. First of all, being inactive is unhealthy. There's no benefit to being a couch potato! Even if you don't gain weight, your muscles will turn to fat, therefore low levels of activity (less than 2-1/2-hours a week) are clearly preferable to an inactive lifestyle. Medium physical activity (2-1/2 to 5 hours a week) provides more extensive health benefits. High levels are more than 5 hours a week. Medium and high levels of vigorous-intensity physical activity may provide additional benefits, depending upon each person.

There is no evidence that the health benefits of 30 minutes on 5 days a week are any different from the health benefits of 50 minutes on 3 days a week. For best results, set your own pace.

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