Updated National Guidelines for Physical Fitness

You will appreciate the flexibility and clarity of the updated national guidelines for physical fitness recently released by the American Heart Association and the American College for Sports Medicine on August 1.

The author of this new report outlining the national physical activity guidelines is William H. Haskell of the Stanford University School of Medicine and a member of the Health Fitness Corporation (HFC) Science Advisory Board. An expert panel of physicians, exercise scientists, public health specialists and epidemiologists helped to redevelop the national guidelines that were originally released in 1995.

According to Gregg Lehman, Ph.D., president and CEO of HFC, "The new standards don't wipe away the old guidelines, but clarify them and make it easier to interpret a mixed batch of exercise intensity levels."

So what is the bottom line of the new guidelines for physical fitness?

To maintain good healthy, adults need moderate-intensity aerobic activity (for example, brisk walking) for 30 minutes for 5 days each week or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (for example, jogging) for 20 minutes 3 days each week.

The report outlines variations and combinations of possible workouts and recommends adults perform activities to maintain muscular endurance and strength 2 days each week. To lose weight and improve your physical fitness, you should exercise more than the minimum requirements.

By following this simplified national guidelines for physical fitness, you will enjoy better health and increased energy every day.