1.6 USDA Exercise Guidelines

Health Standard Met (1)

According to the USDA, regular physical activity is essential to weight control and good physical and mental health. The government has put physical activity on a par with nutrition and calorie control for achieving a healthy lifestyle as well as short-and long-term weight loss. For this assignment, you will review information and answer questions on several USDA exercise guidelines—as you do, please think about your own current level of physical activity and current practices.  For each section below, click the section title to review the information on the USDA website.  Then answer the questions on each section.

A. Physical Activity Overview


  1. You need at least ______ minutes of moderate exercise daily to reduce risk of chronic disease in adulthood, about ______ minutes of moderate-to vigorous-intensity activity most day of the week to help manage body weight and prevent gradual, unhealthy body-weight gain in adulthood. And at least_____ minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a day to sustain weight loss in adulthood.

  2. Describe frequency, intensity and time as it relates to exercise.

B. Types of Activity

  1. To burn the most calories and get the greatest health benefits from your activity program, you must include these three basic types of physical activities ________, ________ and ________.

  2. Define aerobic activity and give three examples.

  3. What is target heart rate and how it relates to aerobic activity and fitness?

C. Types of Strength Training


  1. What is strength training and give three examples? What impact does strength training have on the body?

  2. List seven additional benefits of strength training.

  3. Discuss all of the different types of equipment that can be used in strength training 

D. Stretching Properly

  1. What are the effects of structured stretching on the body?

  2. Describe proper stretching technique and the parts of the body that need to be stretched before working out.