Physical activity not only helps people feel better, it can lead to reduced health risks as well, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
There’s only so much any of us can fit on our plate. But, there are more reasons than one for making exercise a priority, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition to helping people maintain a healthy weight, physical activity is associated with reduced:
- High blood pressure.
- Risk for type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke and several forms of cancer.
- Arthritis pain.
- Risk for osteoporosis and falls.
- Symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Still, starting – and following through with – an exercise program can be challenging for many. It’s common to begin a fitness program and then stop it due to boredom or slow results, notes the Mayo Clinic. By setting “realistic and achievable” goals early on, however, and then progressing to longer-range goals in time, fitness novices will be more likely to follow through. For instance, Mayo recommends taking a 10-minute walk, three times a week, for those who haven’t exercised in a while. An intermediate goal might be a 30-minute walk five days a week, eventually followed by a 5k walk, the organization suggests. In addition, it offers tips, such as:
- Finding sports and activities that one enjoys and then varying the routine to stay interested and engaged.
- Scheduling regular exercise times and slipping in physical activity throughout the day, such as taking the stairs over the elevator, or pedaling a stationary bike or doing strength training exercises at night when watching TV.
- Keeping an exercise journal.
No doubt, it’s not always easy to set aside time to exercise. But, with a bit of creativity, it’s possible, according to Mayo:
- Take the elevator, not the stairs.
- Squeeze in short walks throughout the day, even when there’s no time for a full workout.
- Get up earlier. Rising thirty minutes earlier, two or three times a week, helps ensure time for exercise.
- Drive less. Even when it’s not possible to walk to activities or events, the farther away one parks, the more exercise he or she gets.
- Changing one’s routine by adding Saturday morning bike rides or a trip to the pool interjects a good source of activity in one’s routine.
And, if for no other reason, taking time to exercise presents an opportunity to spend more time outdoors this summer.
For more information visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/fitness/in-depth/fitness/art-20047624.
A well-rounded fitness program
The Mayo Clinic recommends following a balanced fitness program, which includes elements of the following:
- Aerobics. Aerobics (or cardio or endurance activity) causes one to breathe faster and more deeply, maximizing the amount of oxygen in his or her blood. The better one’s aerobics fitness, the more efficiently the heart, lungs and blood vessels transport oxygen throughout the body. Aerobics include physical activity that uses large muscle groups and increases heart rate, including walking, jogging, biking, swimming, dancing, water aerobics, raking, snow shoveling and vacuuming.
- Muscular fitness. This involves strength training at least twice a week to help one increase bone strength and muscular fitness. It also can help maintain muscle mass during a weight-loss program. Most fitness centers provide resistance machines, and weights and resistance bands are easy to store at home.
- Stretching. The muscles in the abdomen, lower back and pelvis – referred to as the core muscles – help protect one’s back and connect upper and lower body movements. Core exercises help one train the muscles to brace the spine and enable one to use upper and lower back muscles more effectively.
- Flexibility. Certain activities, such as dancing, require greater flexibility. Stretching exercises can help increase one’s flexibility, improve the range of motion of one’s joints and help improve one’s posture.
- Balance. Balance tends to deteriorate with age and lead to falls or fractures. Activities such as tai chi, or standing on one leg for increasing periods of time, help promote balance.
For more information visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/fitness/in-depth/fitness-training/art-20044792.
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Pick your poison
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is flexible on its guidelines for weekly exercise – as long as adults follow through with the minimum recommendation. At the very least, it advises adults to follow one of these plans:
- 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, as well as muscle strengthening activities on two or more days each week that work all major muscle groups (e.g., legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).
- 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week and muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days each week.
- An equivalent mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days each week.
For more information visit http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html.
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