AHA
PREVENTION
Preventing physical inactivity can be hard to do with a hectic college schedule, but it's important to incorporate exercise into your daily life in order to maintain good health.
Let's start off with some basic physical activity recommendations:
Adults are recommended to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week
AND moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activities at least 2 days a week
You can achieve your goal of aerobic activity by breaking it up into 30 minutes a day for five days week!
Other intensity options include:
-
75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity every week AND moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activities at least 2 days a week
-
An equivalent mix of moderate and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity at least 2 days a week AND moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activities at least 2 days a week
Intensity Recommendations
Moderate-intensity aerobic activities
-
brisk walking (at least 2.5 mph)
-
dancing
-
tennis
-
gardening
-
biking (<10 mph)
Vigorous-intensity aerobic activities
-
running
-
hiking uphill
-
jumping rope
-
heavy yardwork
-
biking (>10mph)
Any physical activity is better than none at all!
If you currently are inactive you don't have to meet these recommendations overnight. Start off by adding a little bit of physical activity in when you can. Any physical activity is better than none at all! For example, you could take multiple short walks a day by parking farther from your class or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Something as simple as standing instead of sitting is beneficial for your health. Excessive sitting is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, lunch cancer, and premature death.1
Resources
For more information you can read the Physical Activities Guidelines For Americans, 2nd Edition which is published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Click the box to the left to read more!
References
1. American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids. (2018, April 18). https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults
2. How much physical activity do adults need? (2020, October 7). https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm
"How much physical activity," 2020)
("American Heart Association," 2018).
References
("American Heart Association," 2018).
("American Heart Association," 2018).