Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise

This ACSM position stand guides professionals who prescribe individualized exercise for apparently healthy adults of all ages. It may also apply to adults with some chronic diseases or disabilities once a health professional has evaluated them. It replaced ACSM's 1998 stand on the quantity and quality of exercise.

It recommends a regular program combining cardiorespiratory, resistance, flexibility and neuromotor (balance, agility and coordination) training. It gives weekly targets for each type and says programs should be adjusted to a person's activity level, function, health, responses and goals.

It also says that doing less than the targets still helps, that cutting and breaking up sedentary time has its own benefits, and that behavior-change strategies, supervision and enjoyable exercise improve adherence. On safety, it favors education about warning signs and gradual progression. It does not recommend routine exercise testing as a screen for everyone.

Summarized from the published abstract; the full text was not open to us.