The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has similar guidelines and takes it even further with by including recommendations for cardiorespiratory, resistance training, flexibility and neuromotor exercises.
Cardiorespiratory: 150min of moderate-intensity exercise / wk
Option 1: do 5 days of 30-60min of moderate intensity exercise / week 5x30=150min of cardio 5x60=300min of cardio
do 150-300min of moderate intensity cardiorespiratory exercise / week
Option 2: do 3 days of 20-60min of vigorous-intensity exercise / week 3x20=60min of cardio/wk 3x60=180min of cardio/wk
do 60-180min of vigorous intensity cardiorespiratory exercise / week
ACSM Note: You can choose b/w continuous session or multiple shorter sessions of at least 10min to accumulate the desired amount of daily exercise
Resistance Training: train each major muscle group 2-3x/wk, using a variety of exercises and equipment.
1. Use very light or light intensity for older persons or previously sedentary adults starting to exercise. 2. Do 2-4 sets / exercise to improve strength & power. 3. Do 8-12 reps to improve strength & power 4. Do 10-15 reps to improve strength in middle-age and older persons, starting to exercise. 5. Do 15-20 reps to improve muscle endurance. 6. Wait 2 days between resistance training sessions.
Coach Mike Note: in my experience older populations do better with lighter weights, fewer reps, shorter work sets and simple movements.
Coach Mike Note #2: In general it's best to take a day off in between strength training sessions, however, I think "it depends" works better as a catch all, because we definitely have adults who strength train 2x in 1 day, or on back to back days. It depends on the person, their training age and how well they recovered from the first workout.
Flexibility: do flexibility exercise at least 2-3x/wk to improve range of motion.
1. Hold each stretch for 10-30s to the point of tightness or slight discomfort.
2. Do each stretch 2-4x to accumulate 60sec per stretch. 3. Static (hold), dynamic (moving), ballistic (gentle bouncing) and PNF (contract-relax) stretches are all effective 4. Flexibility exercises are most effective when the muscle is warm. Try to warm up the muscles with cardio, hot packs, a hot bath and/or a heated room before stretching.
Coach Mike Note: muscles are definitely more pliable when they're warmed up first, that's why for the first 8+ years of CYBBC, I had clients do static stretches at the end. Now however, static stretching, when cold, and after foam rolling, may be better because:
1. if you have a pain spot or an injured spot, you want to address it before you start training 2. muscles may hold the lengthened position better when stretched cold because the tissue may go through plastic deformation, where as when stretched warm, the tissue, more easily lengthens, but returns to normal length, once cooled. 3. we now do both. we stretch before the workout after rolling, while cold and after the workout, when warm and pliable.
Coach Mike Note #2: The ACSM flexiblity guidelines read a lot like a yoga prescription and anyone, who is generally tight, may benefit from a regular yoga practice added to your exercise routine. Anyone, who has tight spots, may receive sufficient benefit from stretching the tight areas for the recommended sets, reps and time listed above on training days.
Neuromotor: do Neuromotor exercise, aka “functional fitness training” 2-3x/wk. - 1. Do exercises that address balance, agility, coordination, gait, proprioceptive exercise training and multifaceted activities (tai chi and yoga) to improve physical function and prevent falls in older adults.
- 2. 20-30min/day is appropriate for neuromotor exercise.
Additional ACSM Notes: 1. ACSM says Pedometers and step-counting devices are not accurate measures of exercise QUALITY and should not be sole measures of physical activity. 2. It is still possible for active adults to develop heart problems even if they exercise regularly. 3. Sedentary behavior – sitting for long periods of time – is distinct from physical activity and has been shown to be a health risk in itself. Meeting the guidelines for physical activity does not make up for a sedentary lifestyle. | 
