Physical Activity Guidelines

Introduction How many of you knew that there are National Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans to follow? If so, does anyone know what they are? How many of you know the three components to the guidelines?

Guidelines General Health benefits

o 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity every week and 2 or more days of muscle strengthening that works all major muscle groups

o Exercise for a minimum of 10 minutes, and spread out during the week. Example: 30 minutes for 1 day. Split it into 3 10 minute walks or 2 15 minute walks

Greater Health Benefits and Weight Losso 300 minutes of moderate intensity or 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity every week and and 2 or more days of muscle strengthening that

works all major muscle groups What is Aerobic activity?

o The more common term is “cardio” and it means your breathing gets harder and your heart beat increases above resting. Moderate and vigorous are intensities, and refers to how hard your body is working during the activity.

o They say if you can talk but not sing then you’re doing moderate intensity activity. Examples would be a brisk walk, riding a bike on level ground, doubles tennis, etc. Does anyone have anything else they think would be moderate intensity?

o Vigorous activity is when you’re breathing hard and your heart rate has increased greatly. You can’t sing or really talk except for a few words between breaths. Examples would be running, swimming laps, singles tennis, or riding a bicycle on hills.

o They say 1 minute of vigorous activity is the same as 2 minutes of moderate activity. What is muscle strengthening?

o Activities that work all the major muscle groups of your body: legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms. o A set is composed of 8-12 repetitions and you should work up to doing 2-3 sets for benefits. o You can do these activities on the same day or different days than you aerobic activity. But the minutes spent doing muscle strengthening don’t

count towards the overall total of 150 minutes. o Examples include lifting weights, resistance bands, body weight exercises, and yoga. o If you don’t want weights, you can fill a plastic milk jug with sand or water and tape the opening closed or use common grocery items like soup

cans, bottled water, or bags of rice. Flexibility

o You should stretch every day, especially as you age, to maintain flexibility.

Exercise Plan Necessary Equipment: Mats and exercise bands

- Start with one large group for moderate, then split into two groups for vigorous and muscle strengthening. - After the second exercise, walk for 3 laps

Moderate Exercise (Each exercise for a minute)o Marching 30 seconds, then march forward and backo Leg pull up (Kneeing someone)o Side stepping (30) then 2 side steps (30)o Leg out to the side while crunch to the side

o High knees o Row+ lateral steps (slight ice skaters with row)

ooo

o Step out and touch toe (feet together, lunge to side, touch toe, bring feet back together)

o

oo

o Kick leg up and try to touch toe

o March in place 30 seconds, then march 4 steps forward, and for steps back

Vigorous Exercise (Each exercise for a minute)o Joggingo Jumping Jacks (clap out in front)o Jumping Ropeo Arms up, twist at hipso High knees- pause (1,2,pause on 3rd)

BREAKo Butt kickso Jumping Jackso Power skipso Cross country skio High knees- pause (1,2,pause on 3rd)

Muscle Strengthening Exercise (Each exercise for 2 sets)o Upright rowso Bicep Curlso Tricep Kickbackso Dumbbell side bendso Shoulder press

BREAK

o Lunges with dumbbellso Squatso Chicken wingso Calf Raises with dumbbells o Wall sit

Videos used to compose this workout

http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=high_intensity_lowimpact_do_anywhere_cardio_workout

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcN37TxBE_s