ACSM Issues First Public Health Recommendation Update Since 1995

In 1995, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a public health recommendation that stated that every American adult should accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity physical activity on most, but preferably all, days of the week. 

On August 1, 2007, the ACSM and American Heart Association (AHA) jointly issued an update to the 1995 ACSM/CDC recommendations.  The central message remained the same: Americans need to be more physically active. The clear and concise definitions of activities and the corresponding intensities make the updated recommendations a more helpful tool for fitness professionals and fitness organizations. Here are the primary points of the 2007 ACSM/AHA update:

Guidelines pertain to:  Healthy Adults, 18 to 65 years of age.

Minimum amount of cardiovascular exercise:  30-minutes a day for 5-days a week at moderate intensity or 20-minutes per day for 3-days a week at vigorous intensity.

Defining Moderate Intensity:  Intensity between 3.0 and 6.0 METS or more clearly defined as walking briskly and noticeably accelerating the heart rate.

Defining Vigorous Intensity: Intensity above 6.0 METS, jogging or sustained rhythmic movement, rapid breathing and a substantial increase in the heart rate.

Mix and Match:  The ACSM/AHA update references combining the moderate and vigorous intensity workouts during the week.  For example, if a participant typically does a moderate intensity workout for 30-minutes but finds themselves pressed for time, they can increase the intensity to vigorous for a 20-minute workout.  If a participant is not ready for vigorous, see the next point…

Too challenging to complete 20 or 30-minutes of exercise in one bout:   The new update also clearly defines “bouts”.  Participants do not have to perform the full 30-minutes of moderate or 20-minutes of vigorous exercise all in one session.  Exercise can be broken into multiple bouts that last 10-minutes or more.  It is important that the bouts last at least 10-minutes and that the intensity is ranked at moderate or vigorous levels.

The addition of Strength Training:  The 1995 recommendations had a strong cardiovascular training focus. The ACSM/AHA up-date includes a recommendation to perform 8-10 different strength training exercises that work all of the major muscle groups for 8-12 repetitions, at least twice a week (on non-consecutive days).

Remember that these are “minimum” recommendations.  So, if a participant can challenge himself or herself to do more, increase the level of activity.