A wealth of studies has established the benefits of exercise. Yet two related—and very practical—questions remain: What is the best kind of exercise and how much exercise do we need each day?
If you don't currently exercise and aren't very active during the day, any increase in exercise or physical activity is good for you. Some studies show that walking briskly for even one to two hours a week (15 to 20 minutes a day) starts to decrease the chances of having a heart attack or stroke, developing diabetes, or dying prematurely.
Most experts recommend getting a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. You can do all 30 minutes at once or break it up into 10- or 15 minute periods.
Moderate intensity exercise is activity that causes a slight but noticeable increase in breathing and heart rate. Brisk walking fits the bill for moderate-intensity activity. How fast is brisk? For the average person, it means walking 3-4 miles an hour. Walking is an ideal exercise for many people since it doesn't require any special equipment, can be done any time and any place, and is generally very safe.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that this simple form of exercise can substantially reduce the chances of developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes in different populations. Keep in mind that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a day is an excellent starting point, not an upper limit. Exercising longer, harder, or both can bring even greater health benefits.
When it comes to the benefits of physical activity, cardio exercise often gets most of the attention. However, resistance training or weight training also can be an important component of an effective fitness program by helping to maintain or improve balance, muscle strength, and overall function.
Our body can basically be divided into two components: fat and muscle. Muscle is metabolically active tissue. This means that it utilizes calories to work, repair and refuel itself. Fat requires very few calories; it just kind of sits there.
As we enter our mid-to-late twenties, we slowly start to lose muscle as part of the natural aging process. By engaging in regular strength training exercise, it is possible to decrease this loss of lean muscle tissue and even replace some that has been lost already.
Another beneficial effect of resistance training pertains to bone health. In addition to weight bearing cardiovascular exercise, weight training has been shown to help fight osteoporosis.
Here are some tips for getting both types of exercise into your life:
• Set a schedule and keep to it.
• Get a friend or family member to join you. Motivate each other to keep it up.
• Cross-train. Alternate between different
activities so as not to strain one part of the body day after day.
• Set goals.
• Reward yourself. At the end of each month that you stay on your exercise program, reward yourself with something new—new clothes, a compact disc, a new book—something that will help keep you committed. But don’t use junk food as a reward.
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