One of my favorite TV shows when I was growing up was Gomer Pyle, USMC. On the show Sgt Carter was often screaming at Gomer, “Move it! Move it! Move it!” which is excellent advice whether you are a Marine or just trying to stay healthy.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend that we get the following amounts of physical activity:
- do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week
Or
- do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week
And
- do eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week.
Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation. This can include line dancing, biking, canoeing, walking briskly, general gardening and tennis (doubles).
With vigorous activity you can only say a few words without stopping to catch your breath. Examples of this include aerobic dance, biking faster than 10 miles per house, heavy gardening (digging), hiking uphill, jogging, playing basketball and singles tennis.
Examples of strength training:
- Lifting weights
- Working with resistance bands
- Doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance (i.e., push ups, sit ups)
- Heavy gardening (i.e., digging, shoveling)
- Yoga
It should be noted that to lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary. The 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease.
For more information, check out your Prevention Plan website and work with a Prevention Plan health coach.