ACSM’s General Exercise Guidelines

The American College of Sport Medicine's (ACSM) general exercise guidelines are evidence-based recommendations to establish baselines for maintaining physical health and decreasing the risk of all-cause mortality.

The recommendation for healthy adults is:

• Perform moderate-intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 30 minutes, five times per week OR vigorous-intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes, three times per week
• Resistance exercises for the major muscle groups a minimum of 2 times per week
• Flexibility exercises for the major muscle groups a minimum of 2 times per week

What is moderate-intensity aerobic activity?

• You are able to talk, but not sing during the exercise. Examples include brisk walking, slow biking, doubles tennis, active home chores, etc.

What is vigorous-intensity aerobic activity?

• You are not able to talk and are slightly out of breath. Examples inlcude jogging, fast bicycling, singles tennis, swimming laps, etc.

What if I have health constraints or have never exercised before?

• Talking to a physician before beginning a new exercise program can be beneficial! Physicians can assess if we are prepared to begin exercise and provide guidelines to begin.
• Light intensity exercise is appropriate for most apparently healthy adults without the need for a medical clearance from a physician.
• Discretionary sedentary time should be limited to a maximum of two hours. Decreasing sedentary time and engaging in additional physical activity have health benefits regardless of the overall duration of the activities!