Recommendations

for Physical Activity

Beatriz Rivera
Dietetic Intern
Department State Hospital -
Patton
Benefits of Physical Activity
›  Controls Your Weight
›  Maintain, lose, or gain
›  Reduce Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
›  Lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels
›  Reduce Risk of Type 2 Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome
›  Control blood glucose levels. Metabolic syndrome consists of: too
much fat around the waist, high blood pressure, low HDL
cholesterol, high triglycerides, or high blood sugar.
›  Reduce Risk of Some Cancers
›  Colon, breast, endometrial, and lung. Improve quality of life
›  Strengthen Your Bones and Muscles
›  Slow the loss of bone density, Helps with arthritis
›  Improve Your Mental Health and Mood
›  Reduce risk of depression, releases endorphins, keeps you happy
Young Children
Recommendations
›  Children age 2-5 years
›  No specific guidelines
›  Active play several times throughout the day
›  Short bursts of activity, not all at once
›  Developmentally-appropriate, fun, and offer variety.
Children Recommendations
›  6-17 years old
›  60 minutes per day
›  Physical Activity should consist of:
›  Aerobic Activity
›  Moderate-intensity or vigorous-intensity
›  Vigorous-intensity activity should be included at least 3 days a
week.
›  Muscle Strengthening
›  Gymnastics or push-ups
›  Performed at least 3 days per week
›  Bone Strengthening
›  Jumping rope or running
›  At least 3 days per week
›  Activities should be age-appropriate
Adult Recommendations
›  18-64 years old
›  150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a
week and 2 days a week of muscle-strengthening
activities
›  Aerobic activity should be performed for at least 10 minutes
at a time
›  Muscle strengthening activities should train all major muscles
›  Legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulder, and arms
›  Lifting weights, working with resistance bands, body weight
exercises, heavy gardening, yoga
›  75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity a week
and 2 days a week of muscle-strengthening activities
›  For greater health benefits perform 300 minutes of
moderate-intensity or 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity
activity along with muscle-strengthening activities 2
times per week
Older Adult
Recommendations
›  65 + years old
›  Same recommendations as those of adults
›  As long as there are no limiting health conditions
›  Important to start slow and increase levels
›  Only perform physical activity that matches the
individual’s ability
Pregnant or Postpartum
Women Recommendations
›  As long as the pregnancy is in healthy conditions,
physical activity is encouraged
›  150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic
activity
›  Vigorous-intensity activity should be safe during and
after the pregnancy if the woman was already
performing this type of activity prior to pregnancy
›  Discuss with health care provider
›  Avoid activities that involve lying on back or risks a fall or
abdominal injury
›  Horseback riding, soccer, basketball
Physical Activity Intensity
›  Moderate-intensity aerobic activity
›  Raise heartbeat
›  Break a sweat
›  Able to talk, but not sing
›  Walking fast, riding a bike, pushing a lawn mower
›  Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity
›  Breathing hard and fast
›  Accelerated heart beat
›  Won’t be able to say more than a few words
›  Running, swimming, playing basketball
›  Mix Intensity levels
›  1 minute of vigorous-intensity is the same as 2 minutes of
moderate-intensity activity
Thank You!
References
›  U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
(2008). 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
(DHHS Publication No. ADM vi-viii). Washington, DC: U.S.
Government Printing Office.
›  American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public
Health Association, National Resource Center for Health
and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. (2011).
Caring for our children: National health and safety
performance standards; Guidelines for early care and
education programs. Elk Grove Village, IL