Happy September, I hope you have enjoyed your summer and Labor Day weekend. A few weeks ago, I gave a presentation on how to create a home-based
exercise plan. Below are some the bullet points I discussed.
Benefits of exercise/Physical activity
• Improves cardiovascular health
• Improves muscular fitness
• Functional capacity
• Quality of life
• Mental health
• Reduces risk factor of diseases
• Risk of falling
• Improves body composition
How to create a basic home workout plan
• Par Q is recommended
• 5-10 warm-up
• Safe area tips
• Emergency contact
FITT-VPP guidelines for creating home workout plan
Frequency: Resistance training 2-3 days per week. 3-5 days per week for aerobic training depending on the intensity.
Intensity: Use a RPE scale of 0-10 (0 being easy, 10 being very difficult)
with the following parameters for resistance training and aerobic exercise.
Very light to light = 1-4
Moderate to vigorous = 5-8
Vigorous to very vigorous = 7-10
Time- 20-50 minutes for resistance training (keep in mind more sets and reps will increase total duration of workout). For aerobic activities 10 minutes or less for deconditioned individuals. 20-40 minutes for aerobic conditioning.
Type: Focus on mult-joint body Weight exercises like push-ups and squats for resistance training.
Aerobic activity:
light to moderate: Brisk walking up/down hallway
Intermediate: jogging/jumping jacks
Advanced: running/jump rope
Volume:
Resistance training
8-12 repetitions for muscular strengthening
13-20 repetitions for muscular endurance
Minimal 2 sets each session/muscle group
Aerobic training: Work duration should be the focus Example 3 sets of jumping jacks 30 seconds per set
Final notes on FITT-VP
• Rest 1-3 minutes after set to allow proper recovery
• Progression: as exercises become easier (easy to perform/less time to recover after sets) gradually increase intensity
• Increase by taking less rest time/ Choosing more advanced exercises
N’Namdi Nelson M.B.A, CSCS, ACSM-EP, PES, CES
P.S For a specific exercise program for your goals or more information please contact me at attiworkhard@gmail.com