New Guidelines Make It Easy to Get Fit

Aerobic exercise should be done for at least 10 minutes. To get even more health benefits, adults should get at least five hours a week of moderate exercise or 2 1/2 hours a week of intensive exercise, the guidelines recommend.

Pregnant women can also benefit from 2 1/2 hours a week of moderately intensive aerobic exercise. This activity should be spread throughout the week, the guidelines recommend. Pregnant women who previously engaged in vigorous exercise should check with their doctor about how their routine should be modified.

Children and adolescents need even more exercise then adults. They should try to get at least one hour of moderate or vigorous exercise a day, and at engage in intense exercise at least three days a week. For children and adolescents, exercise improves hearts, lungs, muscles and bones, and improves body image.

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For adults with disabilities, the guidelines recommend at least 2 1/2 hours of moderate aerobic activity a week, or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week. If they can't do that much exercise, they should do what they can to remain physically active.

People with chronic medical conditions should also be physically active, but they should do so with the advice of their doctor, the guidelines say.

Many professional groups such as the American Society for Nutrition and the American Heart Association support the new guidelines.

"The development of U.S. physical activity guidelines is a positive step forward for the country," James O. Hill, president of the American Society for Nutrition, said in a statement. "We hope this effort can be integrated with the development of new dietary guidelines to help Americans achieve healthier lifestyles," he added.

But one expert warns that guidelines, while welcome, aren't enough.

"Guidelines are no panacea," said Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine. "Despite clear guidance on tobacco, many people still smoke. We've had detailed dietary guidelines for years, and the typical American diet still fails to resemble them. Physical activity guidelines are the starting line, not the finish line."