The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is one of my most used resources when it comes to exercise. ACSM has endured countless hours of research and experimenting to come up with the guidelines we all use today. I have written out the ACSM guidelines for cardiorespiratory fitness, resistance training, and flexibility below, but I have also provided the link to this page for further reading.
Cardiorespiratory Fitness: When I was in school, my professor presented us with the FITT Model. FITT stands for Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type. According to ACSM guidelines:
- Frequency: at least 5 days a week of moderate intensity exercise, and at least 3 days a week of vigorous intensity exercise. If you would like to combine the two, the recommended frequency would be 3-5 days
- Intensity: Moderate intensity exercise (40-59% Heart Rate Reserve*), Vigorous Intensity exercise (60-84% Heart Rate Reserve*)
- Time: Moderate Intensity exercise requires 150 minutes per week, Vigorous Intensity exercise requires 75 minutes per week; If you are looking for increased health benefits, you can double the amount of time that you work out (300 minutes moderate, 150 minutes vigorous)
- Type: exercise that requires large muscle groups, is continuous, and rhythmic is usually the most beneficial (ex: running)
Resistance Training: Adults should train 2-3 days a week, targeting all of the major muscle groups. In order to improve strength, you should do 2-4 sets of each exercise and 8-12 repetitions each set.
Flexibility: ACSM recommends stretching 2-3 times per week, holding each stretch for 10-30 seconds. You should do about 2-4 repetitions of each stretch. Make sure your muscles are warm before stretching to prevent injury.
One Life. One Body. 