New exercise recommendations: are you getting enough?

By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff

The American College of Sports Medicine released a new set of exercise guidelines today that aren’t all that different from their old ones -- except they emphasize that sitting for long periods is a health risk that can’t be negated simply by exercising regularly. And contrary to what I wrote this week about the pedometer craze, the ACSM says people shouldn’t rely solely on pedometers to meet their fitness goals since “they aren’t an accurate measure of exercise quality” i.e. leisurely walks don’t work the heart muscle hard enough.

Like several other health organizations, the ACSM recommends that we accumulate 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week -- whether in 30 minute bouts five days a week or in vigorous 20 to 60 minute sessions, three days a week. Or, heck, we can even take three 10-minute jogs or bike rides a day and consider that a 30-minute workout.

To maintain our muscle mass, we also need to do some sort of resistance training two to three days a week using our own body weight -- like sit ups, pull-ups, and crunches -- or using free weights or nautilus machines. We should be working all our major muscle groups with two to four sets of 12 to 15 repetitions for each exercise.

And don’t forget to stretch two to three days a week after you’ve warmed up your muscles. This will improve your range of motion, though the latest research suggests it doesn’t do much to prevent workout-related injuries. Hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, recommends the ACSM, to the point of tightness or slight discomfort. And repeat each stretch two to four times. (Here are some stretches to try.)

And instead of heading to the couch for some TV time, practice some yoga or tai chi moves in front of the TV instead. These exercises are importnat to improve your balance, agility, coordination and gait. The ACSM recommends getting 20 to 30 minutes a day of those.