Are You One of the 22.9%?

I have mentioned in past articles the effect of regular exercise on neck and back pain as well as managing bone health. As a PT, I feel like we are the experts in body movement, we are able to detect the restrictions in strength and joint mobility that may be limiting specific activities. PT’s are also regular motivators to all our clients who need encouragement to exercise to manage pain and limited activity tolerance. For many of our clients, their goals are “return to sport, running, walking, biking”.

So what about regular exercise? Are you getting enough? How much is enough? The US Department of Health & Human Services recommends [1] the following:

  • For Adults (18-64):

    • 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes/week of vigorous- intensity aerobic activity;

    • Muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups 2 times/week

  • For OLDER Adults (65 and older)

    • 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity;

    • strengthening and balance should be part of a regular routine;

  • For Children and Adolescents:

    • 60 or more minutes a day should be either moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, and should include vigorous-intensity physical activity at least 3 days a week.

    • As part of their 60 or more minutes of daily physical activity, children and adolescents should include muscle-strengthening physical activity on at least 3 days of the week.

A recent study found that only “22.9 percent of U.S. adults ages 18 to 64 met the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities between the years 2010 and 2015.” [2] 22.9% of the population meeting the recommended guidelines for exercise translates into 77.1% not getting enough exercise. Exercise does not come easy to anyone; there are many excuses not to exercise, the hardest step is the first one!

If you have had a hard time starting or getting back to an exercise routine because:

  • you have an injury or recent surgery;

  • you have a chronic medical condition like heart disease, diabetes or hypertension;

  • you are a cancer survivor or have undergone a transplant;

  • you just need some guidance;

Don’t wait, joint the 22.9%! Have more questions, consider giving Nicole a call to get started on a personalized fitness program.

[1] https://health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/summary.aspx

[2] https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-health/lack-exercise-poses-greater-health-risk-than-smoking-diabetes-heart-disease/

Nicole Skinner, PT