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ACSM CARDIO GUIDELINES
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has instituted a list of cardiovascular fitness guidelines, which I have listed for you below.
The 3 basic components to any exercise conditioning session are warm-up, conditioning stimulus, & cool-down.Warm-up & cool-down performed at approximately 50% of stimulus intensity (hold conversation without much difficulty).
Warm-up & cool-down may take 5-15 minutes, depending on age & fitness level. Accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. (Intermittent activities have same health benefits as continuous activities.) Frequency: 3-5 days a week.Intensity:
50-85% of heart rate maximum (220 - age x .50 to .85) or 60-80% heart rate reserve (220 – age - resting heart rate x .60 to .80 + resting heart rate). Note: Be sure and see the "caution" concerning the 220-minus-age theory on the Target Heart Rate page. Duration: 20-60 or more minutes per session, continuous or intermittent activity. If you are very de-conditioned you may even need to split it up into several 10-minute segments. Like Nike says, JUST DO IT! Increase your duration by 5 minutes a week until you reach your desired amount.
Type:
Aerobic (run, brisk walk, swim, cross-country ski, dance, elliptical trainer, cycling, stationary bike, etc.) The 3 stages of cardiorespiratory training: Initial, Improvement, Maintenance. Progression of both intensity and duration in a single session is not recommended. Increase the duration first before increasing the intensity. If you can complete an exercise session at the upper level of frequency and duration for 2 weeks without signs of excessive fatigue, progress to the next level. If training is discontinued, gains in fitness regress by approximately 50% within 4-12 weeks. If weight loss is your goal, frequent, enjoyable exercise periods of low to moderate intensity and relatively long duration result in the largest weekly caloric expenditures. Stay within your heart rate range. Monitor through a heart rate monitor or manually at carotid artery on neck or radial artery on thumb side of wrist.
If you're ready to begin your aerobic training, click
here
to learn how to get started. There's no time like the present. However, be sure and check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program.
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