Physical Activity Guidelines Out

Garth Tymeson, Ph.D., of the Center on Disability Health and Adapted Physical Activity of the College of Science and Health at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse passed along this latest information on recommendations for physical activity from the American College of Sports Medicine. RTs should become familiar with the guidelines and help their clients to know about them. Here is the release:

Yesterday, the U.S. government released "The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans," and held a launch event in Washington, D.C. ACSM president-elect James Pivarnik, Ph.D., FACSM, spoke at the event on behalf of ACSM and its scientific contributions to the guidelines.

The federal guidelines state adults should exercise for two and a half hours - or 150minutes - per week at a moderate intensity. This breaks down into 30 minutes of exercise five days per week, consistent with guidelines released last August by ACSM and the American Heart Association. Read more about the federal guidelines at www.health.gov/PAGuidelines.

ACSM has created resources at www.acsm.org/physicalactivity to assist in your professional translation and communication of exercise recommendations. These resources detail both ACSM/AHA and federal guidelines, but perhaps even more importantly, focus on the message of simply starting an exercise program regardless of minutes-per-day recommendations.