Final answer:
The key statements from the Physical Activities and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for adults encourage regular physical activity over sedentary behaviors, aiming for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise weekly, performing muscle-strengthening activities, and spreading aerobic activity throughout the week for substantial health benefits.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans issued by the Department of Health and Human Services provide evidence-based recommendations for various age groups. Specifically for adults, the guidelines emphasize the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle while reducing sedentary behavior. They include six key recommendations:
- Adults should move more and sit less throughout the day. Any physical activity is better than none, and sedentary adults can achieve health benefits by becoming more active.
- For significant health outcomes, adults should aim for at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity each week.
- Engage in muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days per week for additional health benefits.
- Aerobic physical activity should be spread throughout the week to avoid excessive fatigue or injury.
- Additional health benefits are gained by exercising beyond the 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.
- Engaging in even a small amount of physical activity can be beneficial; the journey to better health can start with just 10 to 15 minutes per day and can progress from there.
The guidelines serve as an important tool for improving health and reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and depression. The guidelines outline clear differences between moderate and vigorous physical activity, and they emphasize that exercise includes a wide variety of activities that enhance or maintain physical fitness and overall health.