Exercise is like a universal prescription, which can reduce blood sugar, blood pressure, blood lipids, prevent cancer, and improve sleep at the same time. But improper exercise can cause injury, how to balance the relationship?
Recently, the "2023 version of the China Expert Consensus on Sports Prescription" was released, which is suitable for people with chronic diseases, healthy people, sports injury people, etc., to help people reap the benefits of exercise while reducing injuries.
Experts interviewed
Zhang Yimin, Key Laboratory of Sports and Physical Health, Ministry of Education, Beijing Sport University
Reasonable exercise follows 6 principles
The "expert consensus" divides exercise prescriptions into two categories: fitness exercise prescriptions and medical exercise prescriptions.
Fitness and exercise prescription: mainly for healthy people and people at high risk of chronic diseases; Focus on the total amount of exercise, so that people who are not exercising can move and develop habits.
Medical exercise prescription: mainly for people with chronic diseases, sports injuries, and perioperative groups; A clinical mindset is needed to balance treating the disease and maintaining exercise ability.
It should be clear that the formulation of exercise prescriptions should be completed by professional departments or qualified rehabilitation therapists, fitness trainers, etc.
Exercise prescription follows the basic principles of FITT-VP, that is, it includes six basic contents of exercise frequency, intensity, method, time, total amount and exercise progression. Healthy people can refer to the following criteria for exercise:
Frequency of movement
Flexibility exercises, preferably done every day.
In resistance exercise, the strength and endurance exercise frequency of the same muscle group is preferably once every other day, 2~3 days/week.
For aerobic exercise, the World Health Organization recommends aerobic exercise for adults no less than 3 days a week.
Exercise intensity
The exercise intensity is too small, and there is no obvious fitness effect; Excessive intensity, which may cause sports injuries.
The intensity of resistance exercise is: there is a certain sense of fatigue after exercise, and the fatigue basically disappears the next day after exercise.
To judge aerobic exercise intensity, you can measure it by talking during exercise:
Being able to speak and sing during exercise, which is low or low intensity;
Can speak but not sing, moderate intensity exercise;
Inability to say complete sentences, i.e. exercises of greater and greater horizontal intensity.
Movement mode
Sports can be summarized into aerobic exercise, strength exercise, ball sports, traditional Chinese exercise methods, stretching exercises and other categories.
Encourage older adults to participate in a combination of exercise that includes aerobic exercise, resistance training, balance (fall prevention), and flexibility exercises at least twice a week, and can incorporate them into their lives.
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Exercise time + total volume
The World Health Organization recommends: adults should accumulate at least 150~300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, or 75~150 minutes of large-intensity aerobic exercise; Resistance exercises 2~3 times a week.
Aerobic exercise can be spread out in 3~5 days to complete. 2 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is equivalent to 1 minute of high-intensity aerobic exercise. Resistance exercises are best done every other day.
Athletic progression
Exercise is recommended to be carried out in a gradual and decentralized manner.
The consensus pointed out that exercise only 1~2 times a week can still benefit, such as reducing the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease death. But meeting the weekly recommended amount of exercise only once or twice a week increases the risk of injury.
Walk a minimum of 7,000 steps a day, including 3,000 brisk walks
The consensus points out that 10,000 steps a day is often used as the goal of exercise, but the minimum amount of exercise per day that can benefit is 7000~8000 steps, of which at least 3000 steps should be brisk walking (>100 steps / minute).
To achieve moderate intensity exercise, walk at least 100 steps per minute.
When walking, keep your back straight, relax your neck and shoulders, tuck your abdomen gently, adduct your chin slightly, and look straight ahead with your eyes so that your ears, shoulders and hips are on the same vertical line. The arms are based on the shoulder joint as the axis, and the back and forth swing naturally, it is best to achieve "front but shoulder, back but not waist".
In addition, the consensus also clarifies a number of movement matters:
1. Warm-up or preparation activities should be done before exercise, and finishing activities and stretching exercises should be done after exercise.
2. If you are unwell, you should suspend exercise during the acute illness period, such as severe cold, fever, severe diarrhea, etc.
3. Pay special attention to avoid breath holding during resistance training, so as to avoid hypoxia or excessive fluctuations in blood pressure.
4. Children and teenagers should try to sit for a long time (such as watching TV and surfing the Internet), and it is not recommended that the screen time of children aged 2~5 should exceed 1 hour/day, and the screen time of children aged 6~11 should not exceed 2 hours/day.
5. Adolescents aged 6~17 should do ≥ 60 minutes of moderate to large intensity aerobic exercise every day, and at least 3 times a week of large intensity aerobic exercise, resistance exercises and bone building activities.
6. Resistance training in the elderly is very important to prevent muscle atrophy.
7. When you first start exercising, it is recommended to train under the guidance of professionals.
"Exercise prescription" for 9 diseases
For different chronic diseases, this consensus does not give specific exercise prescriptions, and professionals need to formulate them according to the specific conditions of patients.
Previously, American sports medicine expert Jordan Metro summarized the "exercise prescription" of 9 diseases, which can be used for your reference:
1
Anxiety and depression
Regular exercise helps the body release pleasant endorphins, which are beneficial for boosting mood.
Recommended exercises: meditation and yoga.
2
Memory loss or cognitive disorders
Exercise stimulates blood flow to the brain, particularly the hippocampus area of the brain responsible for controlling memory.
Recommended exercises: square dance, tai chi, tennis, martial arts, etc.
3
Sleep disturbances
Several studies have shown that people who exercise regularly sleep darker and better than those who don't exercise regularly.
Recommended exercise: 30 minutes a day in any form. Yoga and Tai Chi are the best.
4
asthma
Regular exercise can improve cardiovascular health and relieve asthma symptoms. Outdoor exercise should avoid mold and pollen environments, and it is best not to exercise outdoors on cold days.
Recommended workouts: aerobics, strength training, or outdoor exercise.
5
Erectile dysfunction and low libido
Stress, poor sleep, too much fatigue, poor blood circulation caused by sitting for a long time, etc., can cause erectile dysfunction and low libido in men.
Recommended exercises: In addition to cycling, exercises that promote blood circulation in the lower body, such as hip and leg resistance training.
6
Premenstrual or menopausal syndrome
Regular exercise can help relieve mood swings in women caused by hormonal spikes, such as premenstrual syndrome and menopausal syndrome.
Recommended workouts: aerobic and strength training, yoga, tai chi, Pilates, etc.
7
Pain in the waist, hips, knees, and neck
Poor lifestyles such as working for a long time or sitting and watching TV for a long time can easily lead to muscle aches in many parts of the body.
Recommended exercises: Strength training and stretching exercises that target the muscles of the relevant area.
8
osteoarthritis
Active exercise can help you lose weight and relieve stress on your joints. Strength training, in particular, strengthens muscles and reduces joint pain.
Recommended exercises: walking, cycling, squatting against a wall, swimming and other water aerobics.
9
ADHD
Exercise can help raise dopamine levels, and it can also help relieve ADHD by stimulating brain regions that control decision-making and impulses.
Recommended exercise: Adult patients can participate in any exercise is beneficial, and children can participate in aerobic exercise that focuses on building team spirit and improving self-esteem and confidence. ▲
Reference: Expert Group of "Expert Consensus on Sports Prescription in China (2023)". Expert Consensus on Exercise Prescription in China (2023). Chinese Journal of Sports Medicine, 2023, 42(1): 3-13.
Editor of this issue: Zheng Ronghua