New Exercise Guidelines: 5 Days Weekly, Add Resistance Training to Aerobic

By David Mendosa, Health Guide Thursday, August 02, 2007

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Even for something as fundamental as exercise, the experts are still fine-tuning their recommendations. And it’s more than just fine-tuning. They are saying that we should do more and more.They now go so far as to explicitly say that “more is better.” Who is this “they” ...

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Bernard Farrell

8/ 7/07 2:09pm

David

Thanks for pointing out these new guidelines. Initally I was surprised at the recommendations because that's seems like a lot of exercise time each day.

But when I visited the first link that you provided, I see three levels of exercise. 30 minutes most days to reduce the risk of chronic disease. The highest level is to sustain weight loss and is 60-90 minutes most days.

Are we reading these the same way? Or is it just that your goals are different to mine? I'm more interested in maintaining my level of health. So far I'm blessed that I don't have to worry about weight loss.

David Mendosa, Health Guide

8/ 9/07 6:39pm

Dear Bernard,

Yes, but. It was "In 1996 [that] the Surgeon General set a low bar, telling us that we need a total of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week." I didn't provide a link for that, because I can't find it online any more.

john fragale

8/11/07 1:03am

i have read that one should get exercise in groups of 10 minutes minimum to derive the most benefits? I welcome your thoughts.

David Mendosa, Health Guide

8/11/07 9:09am

Dear John,

I have read the same think and it makes sense, when we are talking about aerobic exercise, like walking, hiking, treatmilling, etc. But when we are talking about anaerobic exercise like weight lifting, that figure probably doesn't apply. It's the number of repetitions that count then.

Anonymous

1/ 6/08 12:58am

Thanks for your reply. As a disabled person i use an old cardioglide to exercise both sides.my left is the crippled one. Ialso noticed that exercise/wearing a splint on my 'bad' side relieved a lot of pain & enabled me to cancel carpel tunnel surgery on that side. Do you have any other ideas for those like me.(walking is not good as 1 leg is shorter & hurts my back

Sincerely, John

David Mendosa, Health Guide

1/ 6/08 11:23am

The best exercise for you would probably be in a swimming pool, I think.

Anonymous

1/ 6/08 2:40pm

got no swimming pool or access to one. We have to go w/whats available

Dee

9/ 2/07 1:13pm

I'm in my 70's and have a sciatic problem. I've had Type 2 Diabetes for a few years. However, just five minutes at my 8 foot countertop (standing back and pushing off 5-6 times, which strengthens my arms, and easy jogging sideways back and forth as I hold on for balance) my sugar goes down 20-25 points immediately. So we don't have to eliminate exercise due to age. Even a little bit will help.

David Mendosa, Health Guide

9/ 2/07 7:43pm

Dear Dee,

Well said! Just about everyone with diabetes, no matter how bad the complications they might have, can do some exercise.

New Exercise Guidelines: 5 Days Weekly, Add Resistance Training to Aerobic

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