Let's first highlight what the general recommendations are for exercise.
Here are minimum guidelines for physical activity according to the CDC and ACSM:
- 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity
- needs to be performed in bouts of at least 10 minutes
- improvements in aerobic capacity begin when training 3+ days / wk
- improvements in aerobic capacity begin to plateau training >5 days / wk
- 2x / wk of strength training for each major muscle group
* these are basic recommendations that are essential to prevent likelihood of type II diabetes, dementia, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
Movement and Light are the 2 most important things we need to regulate our circadian rhythms. It's estimated our ancestors moved 3000 minutes per week. That's 7 hours / day! Saying that, exceeding the general guidelines is important and for many the minimum guidelines are not enough, but should be a standard.
There are additional health benefits such as increased insulin sensitivity when increasing aerobic exercise to > 300 mins / wk, but not increasing to this amount by more than 10% / wk.
It is important to allow for muscle remodeling and recovery between strength training sessions. Allow for major muscle groups to recover 24-48 hours before re-training them, but separating workouts into 4-5 days / wk can allow for better benefits and increased muscle and strength gains.
For most individuals, 6-10 stimulating sets / muscle group / wk (as close to failure as possible) will stimulate optimal muscle growth and strength.

* Many bodybuilders, powerlifters, and athletes may disagree with these guidelines, but it is important to understand what actually constitutes a "stimulating set". The last 5 reps as one is getting toward muscular failure are considered the "stimulating" reps that can stimulate muscle growth.
It is also worth mentioning that elderly should also be getting an additional 3 days / wk of balance training. This is important. If you are not elderly, I recommend replacing this with some form of sport, recreation, or dynamic activity.
A study by Panula et. al published 2011 states, "the risk of mortality in hip fracture patients was 3-fold higher than that in the general population" and, "the most common causes of death were circulatory diseases, followed by dementia and Alzheimer's disease."
The main cause of hip fractures is falls. Falls in the elderly population can be reduced with improved balance. Once people fall there is also a greater fear of falling again, therefore even once they have their hip surgery, it is essential to regain confidence and strength so they do not suffer from sedentarism then leading to the above mentioned causes of mortality.
Mobility or flexibility training is also something that should be incorporated 2-3x / wk to address hypomobile regions of the body.

* Here is a layout for how this might break down with aerobic and resistance training. I prefer to sprinkle some balance specific exercises into my resistance training and sport/recreation such as hiking or basketball in with my aerobic to make it less time-consuming and more enjoyable.
There will be more to come on this topic. Contact me if you would like to see more posts on specifics for this topic.
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