Check Your EQ (Exercise Quotient) Challenge June ‐ Latest Physical Activity Guidelines Being physically active is one of the most important steps people can take to improve their health. The 2008 National Physical Activity Guidelines www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/default.aspx were adapted to provide recommendations on the types and amount of activity that can provide health benefits. MHealthy exercise and fitness specialists discussed these recommendations and have pulled the key messages in order to help you better understand the guidelines. The main idea is this: regular physical activity over months and years can produce long‐term health benefits. Answers and explanations at the end.
1. Which statement regarding physical activity is NOT true? A. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of many negative health outcomes. B. Some physical activity is better than none. C. Only cardiovascular and muscular fitness are important. D. The benefits of physical activity far outweigh the possibility of negative outcomes. 2. How many minutes of physical activity should I be aiming to do per week? A. You should be aiming to get 150 minutes of moderate activity per week B. Some activity is better than none, so anything more than what I’m doing is helpful C. No more than 30 D. Both a and b are correct 3. I’ve never really been physically active before, how do I know how hard I should be pushing myself? A. You should feel out of breath the entire workout B. On the scale of 1‐10 (see scale), you should be working at a level 9 C. On the scale of 1‐10 you should start between level 2 and 4 and increase as your body tolerates. D. Do I have to push myself? Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale
0 Nothing at all 1 Very light 2 Light 3 Moderate 4 Somewhat Hard
5 Hard 6 7 Very hard 8 9 Extremely hard 10 Maximal effort June – Latest Physical Activity Guidelines 1 4. My goal for muscular fitness (resistance training) is to become stronger, but basically tone my muscles. What kind of equipment can I use to help me with this? A. A bike: keeping your heart rate elevated for an extended period of time will help you become stronger B. Small hand weights C. Weight machines at the gym D. Stability balls E. b ,c and d 5. I don’t like to stretch, but I know I should. How do I safely add this to my program? A. Stretch in a slow, relaxed manner. You should feel a mild discomfort, but not pain B. After activity, concentrate on areas of your body that you just used, or those that feel particularly tight. Hold each stretch for 15‐60 seconds. C. You should always bounce when you stretch, it’s more effective. D. Only a and b are correct E. All of the above are correct 6. Is it okay to do muscular fitness (strength training) every day? A. Absolutely, the more the better B. Yes and no. If you are working different muscle groups each day, it is safe. You generally should allow your muscles to rest 48 hours between workouts. C. Muscular fitness is only for men. 7. Why is it important to warm up before and cool down after activity? A. A warm‐up before activity allows a gradual increase in heart rate and breathing at the start of the episode of activity; while a cool down allows a gradual decrease in heart rate and breathing. B. It’s not necessary, as long as you drink a can of soda before you begin. C. Only professional athletes need to do this. D. Because MHealthy says so. 8. I could use some help with my physical activity routine. Does MHealthy offer any services that could assist me with this? A. Yes, MHealthy offers personal training and group exercise and relaxation classes led by certified, experienced instructors (at a discounted rate) for employees. B. Yes, MHealthy has training plans available for a variety of activities including running, biking, swimming for all fitness levels. C. Yes, MHealthy offers free fitness consultations for employees to discuss goals and barriers and to help you develop an action plan. D. YES! See all answers above. Please go to the next page to see the correct answers. June – Latest Physical Activity Guidelines 2 Latest Physical Activity Guidelines Answers
1. Which statement regarding physical activity is NOT true? A. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of many negative health outcomes. B. Some physical activity is better than none. C. Only cardiovascular and muscular fitness are important. D. The benefits of physical activity far outweigh the possibility of negative outcomes. Correct Answer – C. While both cardiovascular and muscular fitness are important, a well balanced physical activity program will also include flexibility training. 2. How many minutes of physical activity should I be aiming to do per week? A. You should be aiming to get 150 minutes of moderate activity per week B. Some activity is better than none, so anything more than what I’m doing is helpful C. No more than 30 D. Both a and b are correct Correct Answer – D. Risk‐reducing benefits (lowered blood pressure, cholesterol, etc) begin to occur when 150+ minutes of moderate physical activity are achieved each week. However, for individuals just beginning to work on their physical activity level, some activity is better than none. Did you know that 10‐minute bouts of continuous activity can help reduce your risk for some diseases? Try getting 2 or 3 bouts in each day. It’s better to start slow and work your way up to 150 minutes versus thinking you have to do that amount right away. 3. I’ve never really been physically active before, how do I know how hard I should be pushing myself? A. You should feel out of breath the entire workout B. On the scale of 1‐10 (see scale), you should be working at a level 9 C. On the scale of 1‐10 you should start between level 2 and 4 and increase as your body tolerates. D. Do I have to push myself? Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale
0 Nothing at all 1 Very light 2 Light 3 Moderate 4 Somewhat Hard
5 Hard 6 7 Very hard 8 9 Extremely hard 10 Maximal effort Correct Answer – C. As someone who is beginning to work on their physical activity, it’s better to start at a lower intensity and work your way up to a more challenging program. Starting between levels 2 (light) to 4 (somewhat hard) will not only challenge you, but also allow you to carry on activity for an extended period of time. June – Latest Physical Activity Guidelines 3 4. My goal for muscular fitness (resistance training) is to become stronger, but basically tone my muscles. What kind of equipment can I use to help me with this? A. A bike: keeping your heart rate elevated for an extended period of time will help you become stronger B. Small hand weights C. Weight machines at the gym D. Stability balls E. b ,c and d Correct Answer – E. While a bike will technically help your muscles become stronger, this type of machine is primarily used for cardiovascular fitness. The others (small hand weights, weight machines at the gym, and stability balls) all make muscles do more work than they are accustomed to doing. Essentially, they overload the muscles to help make them stronger. 5. I don’t like to stretch, but I know I should. How do I safely add this to my program? A. Stretch in a slow, relaxed manner. You should feel a mild discomfort, but not pain B. After activity, concentrate on areas of your body that you just used, or those that feel particularly tight. Hold each stretch for 15‐60 seconds. C. You should always bounce when you stretch, it’s more effective. D. Only a and b are correct E. All of the above are correct Correct Answer – D. Spending time after your activity to stretch will offer a variety of benefits from helping prevent muscular stiffness and pain, to promoting better circulation. Stretching should never feel painful, but rather mildly uncomfortable. Remember not to bounce, as this could cause minor tears in your muscles. 6. Is it okay to do muscular fitness (strength training) every day? A. Absolutely, the more the better B. Yes and no. If you are working different muscle groups each day, it is safe. You generally should allow your muscles to rest 48 hours between workouts. C. Muscular fitness is only for men. Correct Answer – B. For individuals just beginning a muscular fitness program, 1‐2 days a week is enough to begin seeing results. For more intermediate and advanced individuals, muscular fitness may be incorporated on a daily basis, as long as there are 48 hours of rest between working specific muscle groups. For example, an individual who performs upper body exercises on Monday can safely do them again on Wednesday, and again on Friday; while they can also work their lower body on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. June – Latest Physical Activity Guidelines 4 7. Why is it important to warm up before and cool down after activity? A. A warm‐up before activity allows a gradual increase in heart rate and breathing at the start of the episode of activity; while a cool down allows a gradual decrease in heart rate and breathing. B. It’s not necessary, as long as you drink a can of soda before you begin. C. Only professional athletes need to do this. D. Because MHealthy says so. Correct Answer – A. While MHealthy does ‘say so,’ here’s the reason: gradually increasing (warm up) will safely allow your body to adapt to the increased strain about to be placed on it. On the other hand, a proper cool down will allow your heart rate (and blood pressure) to return to more normal levels. Stopping your exercise program too quickly could actually cause you to faint, so please cool down! 8. I could use some help with my physical activity routine. Does MHealthy offer any services that could assist me with this? A. Yes, MHealthy offers personal training and group exercise and relaxation classes led by certified, experienced instructors (at a discounted rate) for employees. B. Yes, MHealthy has training plans available for a variety of activities including running, biking, swimming for all fitness levels. C. Yes, MHealthy offers free fitness consultations for employees to discuss goals and barriers and to help you develop an action plan. D. YES! See all answers above. Correct Answer – D. Whether you are looking for help setting up a plan, working with a trainer to develop an individualized, specific training program, or wanting to be part of a fun, group atmosphere, MHealthy has something for you. Visit www.hr.umich.edu/mhealthy/programs/activity for more information on all of the physical activity programs available. June – Latest Physical Activity Guidelines 5