New Guide Lines for Health and Fitness


In February 1995, the center for disease control and prevention together with the American college of sports medicine (ACSM) jointly released a new recommendation for physical activity. The new guideline stated that “every American adult should get 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity physical activity on most, and preferably all days of the week. ” This recommendation is aimed at the 78% of our population who are sedentary or marginally active. Only 22% of the population is currently exceeding the new recommendation. The essence of the new recommendation, which was written by a panel of experts, can be summarized by the following -

We believe that the most reasonable interpretation of the currently available data is that

  • Calorie expenditure and total time of physical activity are associated with reduced cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality
  • There is a dose response relationship for this association
  • Regular moderate physical activity provides substantial health benefits
  • Intermittent bouts of physical activity, as short as 8 to 10 minutes, totaling 30 minutes or more on most days provide beneficial health and fitness effects.

The hope is that the new guideline will motivate that segment of society, approximately 78% of the population, who are inactive to reevaluate their status, ultimately attempting to enhance their health through a more active lifestyle. The current view is that any physical movement has the potential to contribute to health. Walking, climbing stairs, mowing the lawn (riding mowers don’t count) raking leaves, mopping and vacuuming floors, washing and waxing the car (by hand), dancing, playing with the children, and other activities may contribute to health enhancement if they are performed at an intensity level equal to a brisk walk (3 to 4 miles per hour).

The new exercise guideline was not intended to replace existing guidelines. People exercising more
strenuously than suggested by the new guidelines should continue to do so. It is important to note that the new guideline represents a minimum standard for sedentary people to achieve. It is best to exceed the standard because higher levels of exertion produce lower risks of disability and death from all cause mortality and cardiovascular disease specifically. In fact, estimates indicate that physical inactivity may be implicated in as many as 250,000 deaths per year in the united states. 30 Sedentary people who begin to exercise regularly reduce their risk of a heart attack by 35% to 55%.

People who consistently exercise above the moderate level develop a high degree of  physical fitness  related benefits. Those who exercise moderately will gain about the same health benefits but not quite the same level of physical fitness.

Two major problems looming ahead for the new recommendation are -

  • How will this information be disseminated to the general public
  • After exposure to it, will the sedentary and marginally active audience be stimulated to act.

The first question is already being addressed. The new exercise guideline will be heavily advertised to the American public over the course of the next few years by a coalition of forces comprised of the federal government, professional exercise, health, and medical organizations, and businesses. This will be the largest initiative of its kind to entice Americans to “get off the couch.” The coalition will speak with one voice to provide consistent, accurate, and current information about exercise. We will have to wait a few years to get answers to the second question.

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