Initial session duration and progression goal for post-polio exercise?

• A. Start 10-15 min and progress to ~30 min
• B. Start 60 min and progress to 120
• C. Start 5 min, progress to 15
• D. Always 20 min without progression

Answer: (A)

In post-polio exercise, you want to protect fatigable muscles while still building endurance. Begin with brief sessions, about 10–15 minutes, and increase gradually as tolerance allows, aiming for roughly 30 minutes in total. This approach respects the reduced energy reserves and helps prevent overuse fatigue while still promoting progress. Starting with much longer sessions risks rapid fatigue and weakness; starting with only 5 minutes may provide too little stimulus for meaningful endurance gains; and keeping a fixed 20-minute duration without progression ignores the need for gradual conditioning.