American College of Sports Medicine Updates Guidelines for Exercise Recommendations

ACSM recently released new recommendations on the quantity and quality of exercise July 2011.  A notable addition is neuromotor exercise or what many call “functional fitness.”  The position stand not only includes recommendations for exercise, but also views the time spent in sedentary activities.  The reason for this is that even the active adult may still develop heart disease, so we must look at the whole picture, not just bits and pieces.  Exercise is important, but sedentary behaviors are a distinctive risk factor that must be assessed.  Also, it is best to go by intensity and time to determine appropriate exercise rather than using pedometers, step counters and other devices to measure physical activity since these are not good indicators of the quality of exercise.

	Cardiovascular Exercise	Resistance Exercise	Flexibility Exercise	Neuromotor Exercise
Frequency	150 minutes/week	2-3x/week	2-3x/week	2-3x/ week
Intensity and Time	30-60 min of moderate 5x/week OR 20-60 min of vigorous 3x/week	2-4 sets of either 8-12 reps for strength/power, 10-15 reps for older persons new to exercise, or 15-20 reps to improve endurance.  Light intensity for beginners or older adults	Hold each stretch 10-30 seconds to point of tightness or slight discomfort. Repeat 2-4x accumulated 60 secs per stretch. Static, dynamic, ballistic, or PNF are appropriate	20-30 minutes/day
Progression	Gradual	Gradual	Gradual	Gradual
Other Information	One continuous session OR multiple sorter sessions of 10 minutes minimum are acceptable	Wait at least 48 hours between sessions	Warm up first before stretching	Include: Motor skills (balance, agility, coordination, and gait), proprioceptive training, and tai chi, yoga, etc.

American College of Sports Medicine, "ACSM Issues New Guidelines on Quantity and Quality of Exercise." Press Release, July 2011.