Duration

As noted previously, it takes several minutes of continuous activity to start to use the aerobic systems effectively. The longer you maintain the activity, the greater the percentage of energy derived from the aerobic system. The guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine identify a goal of 20 to 60 minutes of continuous, aerobic activity. Once again, your initial duration must be based on current level of activity, age, and other health parameters. Because of your arthritis you may need to start with 5-minute bouts of exercise, resting in between (Minor 1996). You then slowly lengthen your session toward the recommended duration. If you have been mildly active you might increase your initial duration to 15 minutes; someone who has been very active can easily start out with 20 to 30 minutes.

These initial durations may seem extremely short, but you can compensate for the brief duration by increasing the frequency of your sessions, such as engaging in two to three bouts of exercise throughout the day. Starting with too long a duration, as with too great an intensity, may lead to soreness and potential injury. As one ages it takes slightly longer to adapt to physical stressors and one is at greater risk for certain types of overuse injuries. Your joints, tendons, and muscles need time to adapt to the new stresses you are placing on them.

Some of you may need or want to stay with shorter bouts. Sometimes work schedules make longer exercise sessions difficult to fit in, whereas two 15-minute exercise bouts work into a schedule more easily. Some people tell me that a shorter session does not aggravate their arthritis, but when they try to increase their exercise time, they start having more pain. You must find what duration of exercise works for you, both in terms of your schedule and your arthritis. In the long run, it is much better to exercise regularly than to stop exercising because you could not do the “ideal” program.