Personalized exercise dose prescription

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) is associated with increased longevity and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, however, the majority of the general population is still sedentary. In order to maximize the health benefits of PA, health care practitioners should be familiarized with the appropriate dose of exercise for each healthy individual, depending on their habitual PA and relative fitness. The aim of this review is to quantitatively describe the lowest and the highest level of exercise that has health benefits, and what should hypothetically be considered ‘the sweet spot’. Analysis of the current literature allows us to develop personalized ‘exercise prescription’ for healthy individuals.