Current ACSM Guidelines for Exercise

The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association have created a set of standards in regard to exercise frequency, intensity, and duration. These standards are outlined below but for more in depth information please visit the ACSM website at

http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home_Page&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7764

Guidelines for healthy adults under the age of 65 (if the goal is overall health)

DO moderately intense cardiovascular exercise for 30 minutes at least 5 x per week

DO vigorously intense cardiovascular exercise for 20 minutes 3 x per week

DO 8-10 strength training exercises, 8-12 repetitions of each exercise, at least 2 x per week

Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still be able to talk. This can also be deemed the "talk test". The "talk test" means that you can talk but you are breathing with some amount of difficulty. Vigorous-intensity exercise is more difficult than moderate-intensity. You will only be able to say a word or two at a time when you are exercising at this level. This is hard work!

It is important to note that the above recommendations are for health purposes only and more time, 60-90 minutes at a time, may be necessary for weight loss and weight maintenance. The 30 minute time recommendation is for healthy adults who wish to maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevent chronic disease.

If you don't have enough time in the day to complete a 30 minute chunk of exercise don't give up, research has shown that your moderate-intensity physical activity can be accumulated throughout the day and can be just as effective as exercising for a constant 30 minutes. Here are some helpful suggestions for accumulating your 30 minutes:

1. walk for 10 minutes on your lunch break

2. walk for 10 minutes around the soccer field and cheer on your kids as they play

3. Walk 10 minutes to the grocery store

Wahlah! There you have it. 30 minutes accumulated throughout your day. This is extremely useful when trying to fit physical activity in to an already busy schedule.

Are you getting your daily/weekly amount of recommended exercise? If not, what can you do today to start making exercise and physical activity a part of your every day routine? Any suggestions/comments on how you fit physical activity in to your busy lifestyle? I'd love to hear your ideas.

HCF client completes 1st Chicago Marathon

House Call Fitness is proud of Julie Fisher for finishing her very first marathon in 3:51:20. For those of you who have never run a marathon this is a VERY respectable time. It’s about 8:30 per mile for 26.2 miles.

I’ve had the honor of watching Julie as she trained for over 6 months to achieve this goal. She was out there hitting the pavement when most of us were still in bed sleeping. She ran when it was raining. She ran when it was dark. She knocked out miles on a treadmill when it was too nasty to be outside. She ran through blisters. She never missed a long run. All of her hard work paid off with a sub 4 hour marathon.

I think the part that I find the most inspiring about her journey is that she completed all of her training while being the mother to two young boys. Read on for a short interview with Julie.

Abby: What was the hardest part about training for the marathon?

Julie: Choosing to do a training run instead of doing other things, like sleeping in, having a leisurely breakfast with my family, and getting together with friends.

Abby: What was the best part about training for the marathon?

Julie: The sense of accomplishment that I got from building my mileage each week. Seeing the muscle definition in my legs was an added perk.

Abby: Did anything funny or strange happen to you on race day or during the race?

Julie: The funniest/strangest thing was the urination situation. There were guys peeing up against trees, in gatorade bottles, wherever. A woman in my start corral was wearing a blanket around her. Another woman in my start corral asked the blanket woman to hold up her blanket so the other woman could sit down on the curb on Columbus Drive and pee. All the normal peeing rules went out the window.

There was also a “green man” running the race - a guy wearing a head-to-toe green lycra-type suit. You couldn’t see his face. I’m not sure if he could see or breathe.

Abby: What was it like to run the Chicago marathon?

Julie: It was harder than I could have imagined. I’m glad I did it, but man, was it hard.

The physical experience aside, the race itself was amazing. The crowds were so supportive, the course, particularly on the northside, has such great energy. The race is well-run, and the runners are generally a very friendly bunch.

Abby: How did you feel in those last few miles? What was going through your mind?

Julie: I wanted to stop. I felt sick and tired, literally. The nausea was overwhelming, and my legs were having a hard time moving. I was so uncomfortable. When the pace group behind the one I started with passed me, I tried to pick it up to join them, but I just couldn’t do it. And I was too tired to care. I just wanted to be done.

The things that helped me keep going were (1) my husband, who rode his bike to several spots in the marathon to cheer me along;I would count the blocks until I could see him again, (2) my kids and their sweet faces along the way, and (3) the other runners who gave words of encouragement as they passed me in those last rough miles.

Abby: What advice would you give to someone who is training for their first marathon?

Julie: I guess it would be, “listen to your body.” but then again, sometimes you have no choice but to listen.

A big thanks to Julie for taking the time to tell us about her marathon experience. Now she can get back to icing those sore muscles.

We are up and Blogging!

House Call Fitness is pleased to announce the start of it's adventures in blogging. Here you can check out all the latest in fitness and personal training. There will be equipment reviews, exercise demos, the latest scientific research on fitness related topics, nutrition tips, etc. Come back often and leave your questions and comments.