Physical Activity Guidelines 2008 Quiz

Early Beliefs About Physical Activity and Health

• Initially, physical activity was seen as essential for survival, not a separate activity.
• Ancient civilizations like China and India recognized the link between physical activity and health over 5,000 years ago.
• Greek health laws (5th Century) emphasized fresh air, good food, proper beverages, exercise and adequate sleep.

History of Physical Activity Guidelines

• 1970s: ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) provided the first public exercise prescriptions for improving cardiorespiratory fitness. Recommendations were specific to FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type).
• 1978: AHA (American Heart Association) guidelines for patients with Coronary Heart Disease were published
• 1992: AHA acknowledged a sedentary lifestyle as the fourth major risk factor for heart disease, adding it to the list of smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
• ACSM Position Statements (1990-1998): Various statements were released.

Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health (1996)

• Reviewed the evidence linking physical activity and multiple health problems.
• Recommended accumulating 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity most days of the week.
• This amounts to approximately 150 kcal/day.

New Paradigm: Public Health

• A graph showing a significant drop in mortality rates associated with greater levels of physical activity.

ACSM Position Stands: Cardiorespiratory Fitness

• Frequency: 3-5 days per week.
• Intensity: 60-90% of maximum heart rate or 50-85% of heart rate reserve.
• Time: 20-60 minutes.
• Type: Rhythmic, continuous movement using large muscle groups.

U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines (2008)

• First government physical activity guidelines were published in 2008.
• For substantial health benefits, adults need 150-300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity or 75-150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity.
• Aerobic activity should be done in bouts of 10 minutes or more, ideally spread throughout the week.
• Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities for all major muscle groups for at least 2 days per week.

Types of Activity: Aerobic

• Aerobic activity involves large muscle groups in rhythmic movement for a sustained period.
• Key elements include intensity (moderate or vigorous), frequency, and duration.
• Examples include brisk walking, running, swimming, and bicycling.

Types of Activity: Muscle-Strengthening

• Muscle-strengthening activities increase skeletal muscle strength, power, endurance and mass.
• Key elements include the amount of weight lifted, frequency, and sets and repetitions.
• Examples include weight lifting, resistance bands, and bodyweight exercises.

Types of Activity: Bone-Strengthening

• Bone-strengthening activities cause impact or tension forces on the bones to promote bone growth and strength.
• Examples include running, jumping rope, and weightlifting

Defining Intensity

• Moderate intensity: 3.0-5.9 METS and 5-6 on a 0-10 scale
• Talk test: can talk during activity, but not sing.
• Vigorous intensity: 6.0 or more METS and 7-8 on a 0-10 scale
• Talk test: cannot say more than a few words without pausing for breath.

What's New: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition

• Extended scientific basis
• Guidance for pre-school age children.
• Discussion of sedentary behaviour.
• Removal of 10-minute bout requirement.
• Demonstrated increased health benefits, including the immediate effects of physical activity.
• Provided tested strategies for promoting physical activity.

Move More and Sit Less

• Sedentary behaviour increases the risk of: all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

Any Activity Counts

• Most benefits of activity are seen at 150-300 minutes of moderate activity.

New Health Benefits Documented

• Short term benefits: improved quality of life, reduced anxiety, reduced blood pressure and better insulin sensitivity.
• Long term benefits: improved cognition (youth), prevention of numerous cancers (adults), reduced dementia risk (adults), reduced fall injuries (older adults), reduced postpartum depression (pregnant women), reduced weight gain (everyone), disease management for osteoarthritis, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. Reduced anxiety and depression symptoms. Improved cognitive functions in specific populations.

Benefits of Physical Activity for Youth

• Improved bone health
• Improved weight status
• Improved cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness
• Improved cardiometabolic health
• Improved cognition
• Reduced risk of depression in children.

Brain Health

• Physical activity benefits cognition (youth and adults), improves quality of life (adults), and reduces dementia risks (adults over 50), and risk of depression in children and adults. Improved sleep outcomes. Reduced anxiety.

Key Guidelines for Specific Populations

• School-aged children and Adolescents: 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous activity daily, including aerobic activity (most of the 60 minutes), muscle-strengthening (3 days a week), and bone-strengthening (3 days a week) activities.
• Adults: 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, spread throughout the week. Include muscle-strengthening activities 2 or more days per week.
• Older Adults: Follow adult guidelines, with additional focus on multicomponent physical activity including balance training. They should exercise at a level relative to their fitness and understand the impact their chronic conditions might have. They should still exercise as much as their condition allows.