Healthy Learning
Exercise Program Design

While the frequency and duration of exercise are the same for all persons, exercise intensity is more complex because it can be expressed in absolute terms (METs, Kcal/min) and in relative terms (%VO2 max, % 1RM). Disagreement exists whether exercise intensity should be expressed relative to a maximal value (%VO2 max, %HRmax) or to a submaximal value (% above or below the lactate or ventilatory threshold). The Importance of Exercise Intensity for Health and for Prescribing Exercise discusses the importance of exercise intensity for various health states, as well as its importance for prescribing exercise. Among the topics covered: definition and discussion of absolute and relative intensity of exercise, importance of exercise intensity for total mortality, coronary heart disease, serum lipids, stroke, hypertension, weight loss, type 2 diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, and peripheral arterial occlusive disease, problems associated with high-intensity exercise, effect of exercise intensity and fitness on a) exercise duration and b) responses to exercise, and need for more detailed information in order to give more individualized exercise prescriptions. Produced in cooperation with the American College of Sports Medicine.