Physical Activity Guidelines by Age

It may not necessarily be something that you think of each day, but there are some set physical activity guidelines that apply to each age and stage of life. This is quite important when you consider that there is a serious obesity epidemic. When you consider that this can be easily prevented, particularly amongst the youth, then it’s imperative to get more physical. It’s important to promote and engage in physical activity throughout the week at any age, and here we take a look at just how that breaks down.

Specific Physical Activity Guidelines by Age

When you look at the physical activity guidelines, you may notice that many generally start for a child when they are 6 or school aged. This is due to the fact that specific guidelines are more challenging to establish for toddlers since development is fast during those first years and needs change based on a spectrum of factors.  Instead of setting specific recommendations, most doctors and health agencies simply recommend an active lifestyle for health and to set good habits early on.

Therefore, most physical activity guidelines will begin at age 6 years.  For kids from about 6-17 years old the average guideline says that children should have about an hour of physical activity each day. For some that’s easy with recess and gym at school, as well as other activities that kids are involved in. For others however it’s about promoting good physical fitness and making this part of everyday life and an overall healthy lifestyle.

There’s Always a Need to Be Physically Fit

It doesn’t stop when you become an adult because the need for physical activity continues to grow. Though it’s not necessary to work out every day, it’s always recommended. The physical activity guidelines for adults are a bit different in that they promote about 2.5 hours of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of high intensity activity each week. That balances out to about a half hour per day, 5 days per week. So that means that you should aim to get in some sort of physical activity each day or hit the gym hard a few times per week. Not only will this type of physical activity promote weight loss, but it will also ensure that you are in the best possible health as well.

As you age and reach the stage of life when you are over 65 years old, the physical activity guidelines may change a bit for you. It’s important to note that you do still want to be physical and active as it can help to protect your health and keep your body stronger. You may want to vary intensities a bit and you may want to add more strength training to your workout. The underlying message though behind these guidelines is that exercise is important at any age. If you want to be your healthiest and best, then make exercise a priority and ensure that you protect your health through a certain amount of physical fitness always.

Shocking US Exercise Statistics

The following are some shocking statistics to help demonstrate just how important it is to improve our exercising habits everyday and stick to recommended guidelines.

• Less than 1 in four (23 percent) US adults meet the minimum recommended guidelines for physical activity as of 2018.
• Just over half (53.3 percent) of US adults meet weekly aerobic/cardio activity recommendations as of 2018.
• Only 1 in 5 US adolescents met the cardio and strength training guidelines for physical exercise in 2017.
• These trends clearly aren’t for lack of spending, as they forked over $10 billion for fitness equipment in 2015.
• More than 1 in 4 (27.3 percent) American adults were deemed completely inactive in 2018.
• Around half of Americans who start a workout program will have stopped it within the first half year.

How to Meet the Recommended Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults

If you’re not meeting the minimum recommended amount of exercise per average week, then this doesn’t mean you need to throw yourself into an intense program at the gym.  In fact, trying to completely overhaul your activity level may not work for you at all.  For many people, that type of drastic change is overwhelming, requires too much motivation to maintain, and places them at risk of injury.  Instead, getting a half hour of moderate intensity exercise five times per week can be a matter of a few simple changes.

Consider the following to bring you closer to your goal:

• Try to do shorter workouts spread across several days instead of packing all your exercise into as few workouts as possible. This is better for your overall health, easier to work into a busy schedule, and more enjoyable for most people.
• Even if you know you can’t do a full workout, do a smaller one. Ten minutes is better than nothing at all!
• Try more than one type of activity. Cardio workouts can include brisk walking, cycling, swimming, jogging, or even a top-speed nonstop tidying up session around the house!
• Keep in mind that a moderate intensity workout should increase your heart rate and breathing rate, but not leave you completely out of breath. You should be able to speak, but be too winded to sing.
• A vigorous intensity workout means that you’ll be able to say only a few words between breaths.

Do at least two weekly strength training activities.  These can include using weights, kettle bells or exercise bands, or doing exercises such as push-ups, burpees or sit-ups.