Guidelines For Cardio Exercise
- Kelsey Piersol
- Aug 4, 2015
- 3 min read
Are you meeting the recommended guidelines for cardio exercise?
The American College of Sports Medicine is the gold standard organization for researching and educating on all things sports, exercise, and fitness. Every few years, ACSM publishes their own position stands on what types of exercise you should be doing, how often, and how intense, all based on the most current evidence in the field. In beginning a fitness journey, or even continuing one, these position stands can serve as a guideline to help set your goals.
The key word here is “guideline.” While ACSM assimilates the most current research in providing these guidelines, we are all different and new discoveries are being made every day. Find a type of exercise that works best for you, and most of all, that you enjoy. Finding something you love to do that also keeps you fit will make staying healthy all that much easier, and who knows, you may even end up wondering how you ever lived without it!
Just what are the guidelines?
Here we will focus on cardiorespiratory exercise:
Intensity* Minutes/day Days/week Total
Moderate 30 5 150min/wk
Vigorous 20 3 75 min/wk
The table above shows ACSM’s recommended frequency, intensity, and duration for cardiorespiratory exercise (running, walking, cycling, swimming, etc). This may seem like a lot, especially for those who dread doing long bouts of cardio. There is good news, however. Previously, the guidelines stated that the daily recommended amount had to be accomplished all in one bout. Based on current research, the guidelines have now been revised to state that the daily time can be accumulated over the course of the day in multiple bouts of ≥10 minutes. Still not your style?
The newest craze to hit the fitness market, HIIT (high intensity interval training), is gaining ground in the cardio world. HIIT consists of alternating short bouts of very high intensity exercise with short bouts of recovery. These workouts are said to increase athletic performance all while optimizing fat burn. The best part? It only takes 4 rounds of 4 exercises, 3 times per week to see results! A recent meta-analysis done by Ramos et. Al. found that HIIT training significantly improved vascular function over 12 weeks. These workouts last anywhere between 10-20 minutes, perfect for those of you in a time crunch.
The point here?
Find something that works for you and stick with it. If you are someone who enjoys longer bouts of cardio, great! Keep on keeping on. If you are someone with time or equipment restraints, there is something for you too. Break up your cardio work or try out some high intensity intervals. Whether or not you meet the recommended guidelines, the important thing to remember is to get up and get moving! Join us at So Fit to see how we can help you reach your fitness goals.
Resources:
Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, et. Al. Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory, Musculoskeletal, and Neuromotor Fitness in Apparently Healthy Adults: Guidance for Prescribing Exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2011. 43(7):1334-1359
Ramos JS, Dalleck LC, Tjonna AE, Beetham KS, Coombes JS. The Impact of High-Intensity Interval Training Versus Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training on Vascular Function: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2015.
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