EXERCISE IDEAS
FOR BUSY PEOPLE
By Kris Fox, PhD, ATC, CSCS*D
Benefits of Regular Exercise
Decreases risk of coronary artery disease Decreases risk of cardiovascular disease Decreases risk of stroke Decreases risk of type 2 diabetes Decreases risk of some forms of cancer
(e.g., colon and breast cancers) Lowers blood pressure Improves lipoprotein profile, C-reactive
protein and other heart disease biomarkers Enhances insulin sensitivity
Benefits of Regular Exercise Assists in weight management and body fat
management Preserves bone mass Reduces the risk of falling Prevents / improves mild to moderate depressive
disorders and anxiety Enhances feelings of "energy", well-being, and
quality of life Enhances cognitive function Decreases risk of cognitive decline and dementia Decreases risk of all-cause mortality
ACSM Current Recommendations
Important Note
The update concludes that the guidelines presented are "minimum" requirements for preventing disease and strongly encourages American adults to strive for greater amounts of physical activity to gain advanced protection against "inactivity-related chronic disease."
For sedentary individuals, it is recommended to begin at lower levels and gradually work up to the recommendations.
Always check with a physician before beginning any exercise program.
a.k.a. Aerobic Recommendations
Cardiovascular Recommendations
Cardiovascular Recommendations
Frequency: ≥ 5 d/wk of moderate exercise, or ≥3 d/wk of vigorous exercise, or a combination of moderate and vigorous exercise on ≥3–5 d/wk
Intensity: Moderate and/or vigorous intensity
Time: 30–60 min/d (150 min/wk) of purposeful moderate exercise, or 20–60 min/d (75 min/wk) of vigorous exercise, or a combination of moderate and vigorous exercise per day
Type: Regular, purposeful exercise that involves major muscle groups and is continuous and rhythmic in nature
Progression: Gradual (7-10% increase each week MAX!)
Determining Intensity Levels Option 1:
Go to a lab and complete a GXT Then have your exercise goals calculated
Option 2: Calculate exercise goals using:
Heart Rate MethodHeart Rate Reserve MethodRatings of Perceived Exertion MethodMETs Method
Heart Rate Method
Calculate: Max HR = 220 – age in years
Low end of target intensity is 55-60% High end of target intensity is 90%
Ex: Age = 40 years220 – 40 years = 180180 x 60% = 108 bpm180 x 90% = 162 bpm
Heart Rate Reserve Method Calculate target heart rate: = [% exercise intensity x (HRmax – HRrest)] + HRrest
Low end of target intensity is 40-50% High end of target intensity is 85%
Ex: Age = 40 years, resting HR = 70 bpm[50% x (180 bpm – 70 bpm) + 70 bpm = 125 bpm[85% x (180 bpm – 70 bpm) + 70 bpm = 164 bpm
Ratings of Perceived Exertion Method
Classification %HHR %HRmax RPE
(6-20 scale)
Very Light <20 <35 <10
Light 20-39 35-54 10-11
Moderate 40-59 55-69 12-13
Hard 60-84 70-89 14-16
Very Hard ≥85 ≥90 17-19
Maximal 100 100 20
METs
MET = Metabolic Equivalent of Task One MET is defined as 1 kcal/kg/hour*
Roughly equivalent to sitting quietly * typical metabolism at rest of an "average"
individual
Light = 2.0-2.9 METs Moderate = 3.0-5.9 METs Vigorous = 6.0-8.7 METs Near max to maximal = ≥8.8 METs
Ways to Increase Heart Rate Go up hill Go up steps Carry extra weight Go faster
Pick Activities You Enjoy
Dancing Ride a bike Jump rope XC skiing Water aerobics Badminton Archery Bowling Canoeing Play with kids
Frisbee golf Golfing (walk) Hiking Race walking Racquetball Roller skating Sledding Snow shoeing Table tennis Wallyball
Ideas for Incorporation
Schedule 10-15 minutes before work, again during lunch, and again after work each day. Start with 1 session each day
If you don’t have a lot of time for a moderate intensity activity, perform a higher intensity activity for a shorter period of time.
Try interval training Pick up the pace for a short period of time Follow by a slower pace Repeat frequently during workout
Ideas for Incorporation
Park a distance from store entrances (when safe), and walk briskly to/from car
Use bathroom on different floor/different part of building, walk briskly and use stairs
Use stairs instead of elevator/escalator Walk errands rather than drive Go into buildings, don’t use drive-thru Walk briskly to destinations Hide the tv remote
Ideas for Incorporation
Do yard work manually Schedule house cleaning daily Move during tv commercials Have walking meetings at work Carry your own groceries to the car
Change pace during activities There are more health benefits from interval
type activity than steady state; however, steady state activity is better than no activity
a.k.a. strength exercisea.k.a. weight lifting
Resistance Exercise
Resistance Exercise Recommendations
Frequency: 2-3 d/wk for each major muscle group Intensity:
Beginners = 40-50% of 1RM (very light to light) Intermediate = 60-70% of 1RM (moderate to hard) Advanced = ≥80% of 1RM (hard to very hard)
Type: Variety of movements involving each major muscle group (target big muscles and multi-joint movements)
Volume: 8-15 repetitions, 2-4 sets, 2-3 minutes rest between sets; rest 48-72 hours between sessions
Progression: Gradual (7-10% increase each week MAX!)
Main Muscles of Body
Inexpensive Equipment
Ideas for Incorporation
Break workout into small sessions during week, before work, lunch, or after work Schedule 15 minutes each day
Day 1 – Legs, Trunk Flexors Day 2 – Chest, Triceps Day 3 – Back, Biceps, Trunk Extensors Day 4 – Legs, Truck Flexors Day 5 – Chest, Triceps Day 6 – Back, Biceps, Trunk Extensors Day 7 – None
Keep equipment next to couch, do exercises during commercial breaks
Ideas for Resistance Exercises Squats Split squats Forward lunges Side lunges Step-ups Dead lifts Stiff-legged
deadlifts Supermans
Push-ups Planks Seated rows Overhead press Dumbbell rows Lateral raises Bent over lateral
raises Front raises
This is a good book that simply
illustrates a variety of resistance
exercises. Many can be performed
without any special
equipment. All illustrations also
show the targeted muscles
on the body.(Sample pages on
next slide)
Flexibility Exercise
Flexibility Exercise Recommendations
Frequency: ≥2-3 d/wk (daily if possible) Intensity: stretch to point of slight discomfort in
muscle Time: hold 10-30 seconds, repeat 2-4
times/exercise Type: Variety of stretches involving each major
muscle group Volume: total volume of 60 sec/exercise Progression: unknown after goal is reached
Note: ALWAYS warm up muscles before stretching them!!!
Ideas for Incorporation
Daily Good Morning Stretch Set alarm for 5 minutes earlier, and don’t hit the
snooze (assuming you have a 9-minute snooze) Take a warm shower Immediately follow with 10 minutes of stretching
Could be evening if you prefer to shower at night Daily Break, Lunch, or Post-Work Stretch
Walk/Move body for ~5 minutes Follow with 5-10 minutes of stretching
Perform a yoga/tai chi session multiple days each week Can be as short as 15 minutes over lunch or before
bed
Here’s a great book that includes a variety of
stretches for a large number of activities.(Sample next
slide)
150 Self Stretches
150+ self stretching techniques by Ryan Hoyme, CMT, NCTMB, HST
http://mrlonghairs.mywapblog.com/files/self-stretching-by-ryan-h.pdf
Includes good illustrations and directions for a wide variety of stretches you can do
on your own.
a.k.a. Balance & Proprioception
Neuromotor Exercise Training
Neuromotor Exercise Recommendations Frequency: ≥2-3 d/wk Intensity: unknown Time: ≥20-30 minutes may be needed Type: Variety of exercises involving
motor skills (balance, agility, coordination, gait) proprioceptive exercises multifaceted activities (tai ji, yoga)
Volume: unknown Progression: unknown
Ideas for Incorporation
Stand in “balance position” during daily activities Ex: brushing teeth, folding laundry, safe
kitchen activities, talking on phone, checking e-mail*, watching tv
Keep balance equipment near areas for quick access
Walk hallway on a “tight rope”, heel-to-toe
Perform daily activities with non-dominant hand/foot (or in a different manner) Ex: brushing teeth, brushing hair, eating,
drinking, opening doors, stirring, carrying things
Learn a new skill, activity, or hobby
Balance Progression
Positions: 2 feet together 1 foot (do both) Feet in tandem
(switch) Progressions:
Shoes on off Eyes open closed Hard surface soft Arms still move Stable surface
unstable
Balance Equipment
Try these…
Yoga Tai Chi Pilates
How to find? Look for a local class Borrow a DVD from library Record from a fitness channel Download smart phone app Search YouTube
Getting Started
Today is as good a day as any to get moving Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a
day/week/month, tomorrow is always a new day to get back on track
Some exercise is better than none Select activities that you enjoy…don’t dread
exercise Put exercise into your planner/daily schedule so
other activities don’t take away from the time for you
Multi-task when possible, but only when one activity doesn’t take away from the other
Set timer to remind you get up and move
Other Tips
Avoid “fat burning” settings on cardio equipment Change up your workout on a regular basis Regularly progress your workouts…continue to
challenge yourself, but don’t forget that recovery is also important for exercise performance and health.
If you feel “too tired to exercise”, start your exercise session and see how you feel after ~10 minutes; if you are still too tired, you can cut it short. Most of the time you will feel better after getting
started. During any down time, get up and move.
Possible Weekly Workout
Sunday Day of Rest
Monday 15 min. aerobic activity
& 5 min. stretching before work
Repeat after work Tuesday
15 min. aerobic activity and 5 min. stretching before work
20 minutes resistance exercises after work
Wednesday Same as Monday
Thursday Same as Tuesday
Friday Same as Monday
Saturday 20 minutes
resistance exercises 10 minutes focused
balance exercises
Possible Weekly Workout
Sunday 60 minutes of family
aerobic activity Monday
5 minutes of stretching before work
20 minutes higher intensity aerobic activity after work
Tuesday 30-45 minute yoga
class
Wednesday Same as Monday
Thursday Same as Tuesday
Friday Same as Monday
Saturday 60 minutes of
movement while house cleaning
Possible Weekly Workout
Sunday Personal or family time
during aerobic activity Monday
15 minutes of resistance exercise before or after work & 5 minutes stretching
Tuesday 20 minutes higher
intensity aerobic activity after work
Wednesday Same as Monday
Thursday Same as Tuesday
Friday Same as Monday
Saturday Accumulate 60
minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity
Any Questions?