Guidelines from the United States Department of Health and Human Services recommend that people of all ages be physically active.1 For adults, they recommend 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, although physical activity above these recommendations adds additional health benefits. Moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity is defined as an activity that allows for a person to talk but not sing. During vigorous-intensity physical activity, a person would be unable to say more than a few words without pausing for breath.
Guidelines further recommend engaging in muscle-strengthening activities of moderate of greater intensity involving all major muscle groups at least twice each week.1 They also advise that adults should move more and sit less throughout the day. While these values and recommendations are based on what infers the greatest health benefits, they stress that any level physical activity is better than none.
For older adults, guidelines recommend the inclusion of balance training in their exercise regimen.1 Older adults with chronic health conditions should consult their doctor about any limitations on their physical activity. If they do have limitations, they should exercise as much as is feasible and safe.
For children, guidelines recommend that preschoolers (ages 3-5 years) should be physically active throughout the day. Adult caregivers should actively encourage children of this age group to engage in active play through a variety of activities. School-aged children and adolescents (ages 6-17 years) are recommended to get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily.
The benefits of exercise have been recognized for decades.2,3 Some benefits include reduced risk of heart disease and associated mortality;4-7 reduced risk of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes,8 colon and breast cancers,9 hypertension,10 and bone and joint diseases such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis;11 reduced risk of mental health conditions including depression12 and anxiety;13 and increased life expectancy.14,15
References
- Piercy KL, Troiano RP, Ballard RM, et al. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2018.
- Blair SN, Kohl HW, 3rd, Paffenbarger RS, Jr., Clark DG, Cooper KH, Gibbons LW. Physical fitness and all-cause mortality. A prospective study of healthy men and women. Jama. Nov 3 1989;262(17):2395-401. doi:10.1001/jama.262.17.2395
- Paffenbarger RS, Jr., Hyde RT, Hsieh CC, Wing AL. Physical activity, other life-style patterns, cardiovascular disease and longevity. Acta Med Scand Suppl. 1986;711:85-91. doi:10.1111/j.0954-6820.1986.tb08936.x
- Paffenbarger RS, Hale WE. Work activity and coronary heart mortality. N Engl J Med. Mar 13 1975;292(11):545-50. doi:10.1056/nejm197503132921101
- Berlin JA, Colditz GA. A meta-analysis of physical activity in the prevention of coronary heart disease. Am J Epidemiol. Oct 1990;132(4):612-28. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115704
- Powell KE, Thompson PD, Caspersen CJ, Kendrick JS. Physical activity and the incidence of coronary heart disease. Annu Rev Public Health. 1987;8:253-87. doi:10.1146/annurev.pu.08.050187.001345
- Blair SN, Kampert JB, Kohl HW, 3rd, et al. Influences of cardiorespiratory fitness and other precursors on cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in men and women. Jama. Jul 17 1996;276(3):205-10.
- Ding D, Chong S, Jalaludin B, Comino E, Bauman AE. Risk factors of incident type 2-diabetes mellitus over a 3-year follow-up: Results from a large Australian sample. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. May 2015;108(2):306-15. doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2015.02.002
- McTiernan A, Friedenreich CM, Katzmarzyk PT, et al. Physical Activity in Cancer Prevention and Survival: A Systematic Review. Med Sci Sports Exerc. Jun 2019;51(6):1252-1261. doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000001937
- Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. Jul 2011;43(7):1334-59. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb
- Puett DW, Griffin MR. Published trials of nonmedicinal and noninvasive therapies for hip and knee osteoarthritis. Annals of internal medicine. Jul 15 1994;121(2):133-40. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-121-2-199407150-00010
- Schuch FB, Vancampfort D, Firth J, et al. Physical Activity and Incident Depression: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. Am J Psychiatry. Jul 1 2018;175(7):631-648. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17111194
- Ensari I, Greenlee TA, Motl RW, Petruzzello SJ. META-ANALYSIS OF ACUTE EXERCISE EFFECTS ON STATE ANXIETY: AN UPDATE OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS. Depress Anxiety. Aug 2015;32(8):624-34. doi:10.1002/da.22370
- Moore SC, Patel AV, Matthews CE, et al. Leisure time physical activity of moderate to vigorous intensity and mortality: a large pooled cohort analysis. PLoS Med. 2012;9(11):e1001335. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001335
- Lee IM, Skerrett PJ. Physical activity and all-cause mortality: what is the dose-response relation? Med Sci Sports Exerc. Jun 2001;33(6 Suppl):S459-71; discussion S493-4. doi:10.1097/00005768-200106001-00016
