Exercise Prescription

• Author: Amer Suleman, MD; Chief Editor: Sherwin SW Ho, MD   more..

Selecting the right physical activities

• Select physical activities that are enjoyable, use most of the muscles, are rhythmic, and may be sustained for several minutes to an hour.
• Plan to exercise every other day until more adequately adapted to the activity.
• Think of the frequency, intensity, time, and type (ie, FITT) plan.

  • Frequency: This is how often per week one will perform the exercise. Plan on most days of the week.
  • Intensity: This is how hard one exercises. Moderate effort is appropriate.
  • Time: This is the duration of each session. Start off with as little as needed (10 min if necessary).
  • Type: This is the choice of physical activity, which can include recreational activities and domestic or occupational activities. A short list of each follows:
    • Recreational activities
      • Participating in aerobic activity classes; performing calisthenics, gymnastics, low-impact aerobics, martial arts
      • Backpacking, climbing hills, stair climbing, walking, hiking, orienteering, running
      • Playing badminton, baseball, basketball, catch (eg, flying discs), cricket, handball, racquetball, lacrosse, rugby, shuffleboard, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, water polo
      • Body building, bowling, boxing, cycling, dancing, fencing, gardening, golfing, horseback riding, hunting, in-line skating, skating, rope skipping, skiing, snow shoeing, weight lifting, windsurfing
      • Canoeing, sailing, scuba diving, swimming, fishing, participating in water activities
    • Domestic or occupational activities – Cleaning windows, doing housework, mowing, packing and unpacking, plowing, sanding, sawing, sweeping, stocking shelves, pushing a wheelbarrow, performing yard work, etc
• Set goals, which may include those regarding health, improving physical capacity or performance.
• Motivation may be helpful for compliance. See the following tips:

  • Join a class or facility, or contract with a friend (buddy system).
  • Listen to one's body (eg, slowing down or skipping if tired or ill). Start at the present level to prevent soreness.
  • Exercise at the same time each day.
  • Make sure to have good-quality nutrition.
  • Make exercising a priority; scheduling a time benefits the individual.
  • Get advice if help is needed.