Physical_Activity_Guidelines

Getting and Staying Active: Real-Life Examples
These examples show how people with various health conditions can meet the key guidelines.
Jessica: A 28-Year-Old Woman Who Is Pregnant
Jessica is 16 weeks pregnant, and her pregnancy is progressing normally.
Before she became pregnant, Jessica did some light- and moderateintensity
physical activity, but she did not meet the key guidelines.
Jessica’s pregnancy motivates her to be more physically active. She
discusses her plans with her doctor, who tells her it is safe for her to
increase her activity level as long as she keeps him informed throughout
her pregnancy. Jessica joins a prenatal yoga class at her local hospital,
which meets once a week. She also starts walking during her lunch break
for 30 minutes 3 days a week, for a total of 90 minutes of moderateintensity
activity. As she begins to gain strength and endurance, Jessica
adds a 60-minute walk and 30 minutes of muscle-strengthening activities with resistance bands each
weekend, modifying exercises to avoid lying on her back. With these additions, Jessica has reached 150
minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week and participates in 1 day of muscle strengthening. As
Jessica’s pregnancy progresses, she notices lower back pain that intensifies on longer walks, so she replaces
her longer walk with swimming. She continues using resistance bands and attending her prenatal yoga class
until her baby is born.
Ines: An 83-Year-Old Woman With Osteoarthritis
Ines has been active all her life, but osteoarthritis in her hip and knee have
started to slow her down. Ines communicates regularly with her doctor,
who agrees that staying active can help to reduce her level of pain,
as well as improve her physical function and health-related quality of life.
Because of her age and ability level, Ines typically judges the intensity of
her activity based on her own level of exertion.
Ines does the equivalent of at least 160 minutes of moderate-intensity
aerobic activity each week, plus muscle-strengthening activities 2 days
a week.
• Three days a week, Ines follows along with a fitness video at home. The video includes 20 minutes of
moderate-intensity movements, including stepping, marching, and walking in place.
• Two days a week, Ines participates in a 30-minute chair yoga class at the senior center nearby, which
incorporates muscle-strengthening, stretching, and balance exercises.
• On Saturday before the mall opens, Ines and her daughter walk for 40 minutes. The mall provides a
safe, indoor place to walk with clear paths, even surfaces, and places to sit down if needed.
Chapter 6. Additional Considerations for Some Adults 85