Exercise
Make it Safe. Done properly, exercise is an important habit of a healthy lifestyle. Exercise can hurt as well as help your health so it is important that you check with your health care provider for advice on what activities are appropriate for your current state of health.
We all know exercise helps you stay trim and in shape, but there are a number of health benefits sometimes overlooked. Exercise:
- Helps prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes
- Improves your overall mood
- Reduces high blood pressure
- Reduces stress
- Strengthens muscles, bones and joints
- Improves metabolism and increases your energy level
- Strengthens immune system
- Helps prevent depression
- Increases bone density, which helps prevent osteoporosis
What is the ‘Best’ Exercise? It is the exercise you will do every day. Exercise should be fun and enjoyable, not a burden. Pick something that you enjoy doing. Even better, pick an exercise that you will do with someone else. Having an exercise partner makes it much harder to skip days and get out of your routine.
Start Low and Go Slow. As your energy level improves, there is a natural tendency to push your limits. While our fitness grows at the edge of your limits, always be careful not to increase the intensity of your exercise too fast. If you exercise a particular muscle group, give it 48 hours to recover to prevent injury. The goal is to exercise for a lifetime and if you go too fast and injure yourself, you end up limiting your ability to exercise. Be patient and be persistent.
Create Structure. Establish a regular exercise schedule. Plan to exercise at least 4 times a week. Set a specific day and time each day of the week that you will exercise. Make exercise a high priority. If you leave as something that you will do when you get a chance, it won’t get done.
Aerobic Exercise and Weight Training. Both types of exercise provide benefit and combining both is the ideal way to create fitness. Aerobic exercise such a brisk walking, jogging, biking, Zumba, aerobic classes and spin classes are just a few of the many types of aerobic exercises that you can do. Aerobic exercise improves cardiovascular health, improves your energy levels and enhances your mental health.
Resistance training involves building body muscle. Increasing muscle mass will increase your metabolism helping your burn calories 24/7. Weight training with the help of a certified fitness instructor will improve strength and build muscle. Other fitness programs teach you to use your own body weight to build strength. Yoga is a beautiful way to combine stretching, muscle strengthening and breathing to create both fitness and relaxation.
Incorporate Activity into Your Lifestyle
- Park Far Away – By parking farther away from the entrance to work or shopping, you can easily add valuable steps (exercise) to your busy day.
- Bathroom Breaks – Instead of using the bathroom closest to your desk or office, walk to another one down the hall or on another floor.
- Power-walk Lunch – By eating a well-balanced lunch and walking for the duration of your lunch break, you can easily incorporate a mini-aerobic workout into your busy day. Even if your lunch break is only 30 minutes, a quick walk around your office building is an easy way to add physical activity to your busy schedule.
- Play with your Kids – A simple game of kickball or shooting hoops with the kids is an excellent way to burn calories. By scheduling a daily family activity like this, it is easy to stay active while having fun with your family at the same time. Schedule a game of kickball (or whatever game your family enjoys) for roughly the same time every day – when the entire family can participate. A game right after dinner may work for your family.
Do your Chores – Everyday household chores provide an easy (and efficient) way to stay active with a busy lifestyle. Mowing the lawn with a push-mower, sweeping and mopping the kitchen and bathroom, or vacuuming the house are great ways to burn calories while keeping your home in top shape.