AHA Exercise Guidelines

Getting plenty of exercise can boost your physical and mental health and improve your quality of life. The American Heart Association, in conjunction with the American College of Sports Medicine, has created exercise recommendations to help you stay healthy. The AHA's exercise recommendations include both aerobic and strength training exercise.

Aerobic Exercise

The AHA and ACSM recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days each week. This is enough exercise for an average, healthy adult to maintain good health and reduce your risk for chronic disease. For similar benefits, you can participate in 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise three days each week. A moderate intensity means noticeably increasing your heart rate and breathing but still allowing you to carry on a conversation. Working your way up to 60 minutes or more of aerobic exercise on most days of the week may be necessary for weight loss.

Strength Training

Muscle-strengthening exercises for your major muscle groups, including your chest, shoulders, abdomen, back, hips and legs, are also recommended. You should exercise each muscle group at least two times each week, with at least 48 hours between exercise sessions. Strength-training exercises can include lifting weights, using resistance bands or doing exercises that use your body weight as resistance. If you are new to strength training, visiting with an exercise specialist may be beneficial in helping you learn effective exercises and correct techniques.

Benefits

For every hour of regular exercise, you gain approximately two hours of additional life expectancy, the AHA reports. Meeting the AHA's exercise guidelines can help you control your cholesterol, blood pressure and your weight, all of which are risk factors for heart disease. Staying active also helps you manage stress, increase your energy level and relieve some symptoms of anxiety and depression. Staying regularly active reduces your risk for chronic diseases associated with aging and helps you live healthier for longer.

Considerations

You can start including more exercise into your lifestyle at any age, but check with your doctor if you are new to exercise or if you have a condition that may make exercise unsafe for you. Slowly and gradually work your way up to the recommended exercise levels. Always begin and end your exercise sessions with a warmup and cooldown and choose types of exercise that you enjoy. Choosing exercises that you enjoy increases your chances of sticking with your exercise routine.