Conditions / Life stage
Older adult (65+)
Adults 65 and over have an explicit balance requirement in the Canadian guidelines that younger adults do not.
Prescribe
- 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity
- Muscle strengthening at least twice weekly
- Physical activities that challenge balance
- Start resistance work at 40-50 percent 1RM for 10-15 repetitions
Avoid, and why
- Skipping the balance component, which is specific to this age group
- Progressing load and exercise complexity in the same week
How the generator handles this
| Max exercise complexity | 3 |
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| Patterns excluded | None |
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| Balance work added | Yes |
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| Clearance required first | No |
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Sources
- Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (2020). Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults aged 18-64 years.
Source
150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity, muscle strengthening at least twice weekly, balance challenge for adults 65+, limit sedentary time to 8 hours, 7-9 hours of sleep.
- American College of Sports Medicine (Garber et al.) (2011). American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise.
Source
The FITT-VP framework. Aerobic: at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity, 30-60 minutes per day. Resistance: 40-50% 1RM for beginning older and sedentary persons, 60-70% for novice to intermediate, 10-15 reps for beginners.