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Traditional Guidelines for Physical Activity (Cont'd)
Duration (Time)
Duration is the length of a physical activity session. Most cardiovascular classes are 45 to 60 minutes long. This structure was based on the belief that cardiovascular activity of 20 minutes or more is beneficial to the cardiorespiratory system.39
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends accumulating 20-60 minutes of cardio (endurance) activity three to five days a week40
Deconditioned older adults can benefit from several shorter bouts of activity during the day. For example, 20 minutes can be broken into two 10 minute sessions
For some sedentary, deconditioned or frail elders, five to 10 minutes of endurance activity may be too great a starting point. Unrealistic goals or expectations can have a demoralizing effect on a sedentary or frail beginner.
Start slow and gradually increase the amount of time of being active (how many minutes) or increase the number of sessions per week.
A better approach is to establish duration based on how long an older adult can perform cardiovascular (endurance) activity without undue fatigue. Over time (which will vary with each person) this baseline can be gradually extended. With regular aerobic activity, older adults will become stronger and develop greater stamina, which will enable them to be active for longer periods of time.
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