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Physical activity should be regular part of our daily lives

Tuesday, September 18 at 10:39 AM

This Speakout has not been edited.

By Theresa M. Stevens

As a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, I am committed to the belief that scientific research in exercise science and sports medicine can effectively contribute to health and wellness for all people.

This is evident in the updated physical activity recommendations recently published by ACSM, in conjunction with the American Heart Association. More than 10 years of research have contributed to the update of the guidelines, which were last issued in 1995. These updated guidelines explicitly state what all healthy adults and older adults should do to maintain health, and in turn, quality of life.

ACSM and AHA recommend that all healthy adults ages 18 to 65 do moderately intense physical activity for at least 30 minutes, at least five days per week (or vigorous activity three days per week), in addition to strength training twice per week.

Engaging in this amount of physical activity doesn’t have to involve an expensive gym membership or a personal trainer — just a little motivation and a good pair of tennis shoes will do. The point is to keep moving and stay moving.

Why is this so crucial? As has been well reported and documented in recent years, the U.S. population is overweight, and is mired with many health issues that could be easily prevented through physical activity. A simple half-hour of physical activity can do wonders for the body, and can help keep problems like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke at bay.

In addition, ACSM and AHA have released guidelines specifically for adults over age 65, or adults over age 50 with conditions such as arthritis. At a time when the baby boomer population is progressing into senior citizenship, this is especially important. Recommendations for older adults are the same as for younger adults, with the addition of increased strength training recommendations, balance exercises for older adults at risk of falling, and the encouragement of a physical activity plan developed with a health care professional.

Exercise for older adults not only helps prevent many of the diseases prevalent in later years, but also helps older adults to continue to have functional health — that is, helps them continue to perform the tasks that are part of every day life. After all, life is much less enjoyable without the ability to garden, pick up the grandchildren, or cook a great meal.

I encourage your readers to take the ACSM and AHA guidelines to heart, and make physical activity a part of their daily lives. Exercise through doing the things you love, like playing basketball, roller blading, or simply going for a walk with your spouse, your kids, or a friend. ACSM gives more detail on these guidelines and provides informative resources for starting an exercise program on its Web site at www.acsm.org.

It’s worth the end reward: a longer, healthier, happier life.

Theresa M. Stevens is a certified health fitness professional. She is a resident of Centennial.

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