To enjoy the many benefits of regular physical activity, it is important to meet specific criteria linked to improved fitness and health. For best results, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends the following exercise guidelines.
FITT Formula for Fitness
Frequency: Aim for 5 days per week, daily when possible.
Intensity: Keep moderate to start – exercise should feel “fairly easy” to “somewhat hard,” and require you to breathe deeply but not be out of breath. If you are accustomed to regular activity and are in good health, you can exercise vigorously – exercise that feels “somewhat hard” to “hard” and results in sweating and heavy breathing, but doesn’t cause you to be out of breath.
Time: Progress gradually to 30 minutes daily: For further benefits or help in controlling weight, progress gradually to 45-60 minutes per exercise session.
Type: Choose moderate to vigorous aerobic activities that use the major muscle groups (e.g., walk, bike, swim, play active sports) and that you can maintain for the desired amount of time. Moderate and Vigorous Activities
Frequency
You can’t expect much benefit from activity if you only do it once or twice a week. Your heart, lungs, arteries, and metabolism need the stimulus of regular exercise to make improvement. Research shows that daily physical activity is best for moderate activity. Aim for at least 5 days per week if you can’t be active daily. Vigorous activity results in improvement in aerobic fitness if done at least every other day. The important thing is regularity. Humans do the things they set as priorities. Make regular physical activity an important part of your life.
Intensity
Achieving a desired intensity in your activity is essential for stimulating the body to improve. It’s fun to trim the roses and stroll beside the lake, but unless you raise your heart rate and stimulate deep breathing, there will be little, if any, measurable improvement in your aerobic fitness.
What does “moderate intensity” mean?
When first starting your exercise program, you should plan activities that are of moderate intensity. They should feel “fairly easy” to “somewhat hard” and require deep breathing – but you shouldn’t feel out of breath.
Examples of moderate activities
| Walking 2 miles in 30-35 minutes |
Active dancing for 30+ minutes |
| Swimming laps for 20-30 minutes |
Active gardening for 30-45 minutes |
| Bicycling 8-9 mph for 30 minutes |
Playing 9 holes of golf, walking |
| Playing volleyball for 45-60 minutes |
Doing water aerobics for 30-45 minutes |
| Doing low-impact aerobics to music for 30 min |
Skating at a moderate pace 30-45 min |
What does “vigorous intensity” mean?
Young adults and healthy individuals in the habit of regular physical activity may want to participate in more vigorous activities. If you have any health problems, be sure to get medical clearance before beginning vigorous activity. Vigorous activity should feel “somewhat hard” to “hard” and require heavy breathing – but you shouldn’t feel out of breath. If you can’t carry on a conversation with someone, you are exercising too hard and you need to slow down.
Examples of vigorous intensity activities
| Fast walking, less than 15 min/mile |
Step aerobics
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| Jogging/running |
Downhill and cross-country skiing
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| Backpacking |
Canoeing/kayaking |
| Hill climbing |
Stair climbing |
| Skating at a vigorous pace |
Heavy gardening (shoveling, hoeing) |
| Bicycling 12-15 mph |
Vigorous dance aerobics |
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Playing competitive sports (e.g. tennis, racquetball or basketball)
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Mountain climbing |
Know your exercise heart rate.
To be more accurate in monitoring your exercise intensity, you can calculate your exercise heart rate using a Heart Rate Calculator. Once you know your target exercise heart rate, you should check your pulse occasionally – either manually or with a heart rate monitor (a strap worn around your chest that monitors heart rate and transmits it to a watch on your wrist so you can easily check on your heart rate). The target heart rate calculation is based on something called heart rate reserve, which is the best way to determine an exercise heart rate specific to your present fitness level and is preferred to using estimates based on maximum heart rate alone. Heart rate reserve is the difference between your maximum and resting heart rates.
Time
How long you exercise is the third critical factor for improved fitness and health. When exercising moderately, aim to accumulate at least 30 minutes daily. If you’ve been sedentary, you may need to start with only 10 minutes and slowly progress over time to 30 minutes per day. If you want to control your weight or receive greater benefits from your activity, aim for 45-60 minutes of moderate activity daily. It’s OK to break your activities into 10- or 15-minute sessions.
If exercising at a vigorous intensity, 20-30 minutes of vigorous exercise will result in good improvement in aerobic fitness. You can go longer if you desire higher levels of fitness. Keep in mind, however, that as time increases, so do the risks for muscle soreness and injuries that may limit your activity. Be sure to progress gradually over time to allow your muscles, joints, and cardiovascular system to adapt to greater work loads.
Type
The fourth critical element is the type of activity you do. For improvement in aerobic fitness, choose activities that involve the large muscle groups of the body, such as the legs in walking, running, biking, and hiking, or the arms, back, and shoulders in swimming. Choose activities you enjoy and will keep doing for a lifetime. For variety, you may want to choose several aerobic activities, such as brisk walking or jogging 3 days per week, biking 2 days per week, and swimming 1-2 days per week. Cross training gives your muscles and joints time to fully recover between sessions. You’ll grow stronger and help prevent injuries. Cross training also includes more muscle groups so encourages a balanced fitness program.
Other Fitness Guidelines
Here are other principles that can help you maintain an active lifestyle for a lifetime.
- Choose activities you enjoy. If you don’t like what you do, you won’t keep with it for long.
- Ask someone to go with you. An exercise buddy helps you be more faithful to regular activity.
- Add variety. Doing different activities on different days or choose new walking or bicycling routes.
- Exercise in the cool of the day (morning or late in the day) and drink plenty of fluids.
- Always include a warm-up (ease into your activity) and a cool-down (slow down gradually) with your aerobic activity. It keeps your activity safer and puts less strain on your body.
- Always start with activities that are within your capability. Start at an easy level and slowly increase exercise time (first) and intensity (next) as your body grows stronger and fit. It may have taken you years to get out of shape. Don’t try to get in shape over night.
- Wear comfortable exercise clothing, well-suited to your activity. For example, if you’re walking, good walking shoes are a must.
- Set goals and keep records. You may want to record minutes, miles, or steps per day.
- Carry a favorite quotation or poem with you to memorize or contemplate while walking.
- Look for ways to be more active daily: take the steps instead of the elevator, walk to the store, walk the dog, walk some during your lunch hour, take breaks frequently, and take active vacations.
- Do stretching and strengthening exercise 2-3 times weekly, as well as regular aerobic exercise.
- Join a gym or fitness class. If needed, ask a fitness trainer to help you get started.
- Exercise in a safe area, well-lighted if dark, and not isolated. Taking friends or a large dog with you can also provide additional safety. In icy conditions, you may want to exercise in a gym or go walking in an enclosed mall.
- When first starting an exercise program, it usually isn’t necessary to see your doctor if you are in good health and you begin a moderate program. If you have health problems (i.e., diabetes, a heart condition, arthritis, or other health problem or limitation), are a man over age 40 or woman over age 50, and you want to do vigorous activities, check with your doctor first and get guidance before starting.
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