Exercise Basics

[DenimDaze]

I found this great article that covers the basics of exercise very nicely.

 

http://www2.vhi.ie/topic/fitnessclass2#s28

 

 

How much exercise do you need?

 

Looking to get fit? If you're an adult in reasonable health, here's what federal experts say:

 

 

 

Moderate-intensity activities for at least 30 minutes on most or all days of the week

 

 

 

To help manage your weight and prevent unhealthy weight gain from creeping up on you as you get older, the experts recommend:

 

 

 

Moderate-intensity physical activity at least 60 minutes a day

 

 

 

And to sustain weight loss as you get older, the experts recommend:

 

 

 

Moderate-intensity physical activity 60 to 90 minutes a day, while not taking in more than your recommended daily calories

 

 

 

•Moderate activity burns 3.5 to 7 calories per minute. Examples include walking at 3 to 4.5 mph, swimming, bicycling on level ground, yoga, weight training, most types of dancing, and moderate yard or house work -- such as raking leaves or scrubbing floors.

 

•Vigorous activity burns 7 or more calories per minute. Examples include racewalking, running, walking uphill, backpacking, rock climbing, bicycling fast or uphill, and heavy yard or house work -- such as splitting logs or moving heavy furniture.

 

How do your favorite activities rate? Click here for the full activity guide.

 

 

 

Heart experts also recommend strength training twice a week.

 

 

 

If you get at least this amount of exercise in any form, you're on your way to fitness! Now, take it a step further. To get the most benefit from exercise, design a workout plan that covers the three main areas of fitness -- aerobic exercise to strengthen the heart and lungs, muscular strength and endurance training, and flexibility exercises. It sounds complicated, but it's not too hard once you understand each of these types of exercise.

 

 

 

•Tip: No matter what you do, always remember to warm up with 5 to 10 minutes of walking or slow jogging, and cool down with another 5 to 10 minutes of walking or stretching.

 

Part 1: Aerobic exercise

 

How often: At least 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensive activity on most or all days of the week.

 

 

 

Aerobic activities are what most people picture when they think of exercising. You might imagine a gym full of sweaty people huffing away on stationary bikes, or a room full of people frantically stepping up and down in time to music. While those are aerobic exercises, the truth is that any activity that gets your heart rate up is aerobic ("air using"), whether it's walking with your baby, salsa dancing, or bicycling to work. And every little bit counts.

 

 

 

Aerobic activities (also called cardio workouts or cardio exercise) are an efficient way to burn calories while strengthening your heart and lungs. They're great at relieving stress and mild depression, and may help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure and fend off certain cancers.

 

 

 

While running for 30 minutes will burn more calories than 30 minutes of walking, remember that you can choose to walk for a longer period and use roughly the same amount of energy. You don't have to push yourself hard to benefit from exercise. Go slow and steady for the first four to six weeks, and gradually increase the effort over the following four to six months as you're ready to handle it. That way you won't get discouraged by a difficult activity, and more importantly, you won't injure yourself.

 

 

 

Regardless of your activity, you'll want to exercise at a pace that makes you breathe harder and increases your heart rate. We'll talk more about exercising at your "target heart rate" in the next class. For now, know that when you're doing moderate-intensity exercise, you should be breathing harder and talking will be somewhat more difficult; still, you should still be able to carry on a conversation. If you're just starting an exercise program, you should work at a lower intensity than this and gradually ramp up your workout.

 

 

 

Learn more: Aerobics 101

 

 

 

Activities to try: Everyday exercise, walking, running, swimming, bicycling, kickboxing, power yoga, salsa dancing

 

 

 

Part 2: Strength and endurance training

 

How often: At least two 20-minute sessions of weight-bearing exercise per week

 

 

 

You can work on muscle strength and endurance without lifting heavy dumbbells -- the key is resistance and repetition. This can be done with any type of resistance, such as elastic bands, weights, or even using your own body weight. The goal of strength training is to make your muscles strong, so that you can move and function more efficiently. It's especially important to strengthen your core muscles (the ones that surround your torso) because they make up the support system for almost every motion your body makes. Building up those muscles also helps prevent bad posture and low back pain.

 

 

 

The other part, endurance training, is about stamina. The more you do an exercise, the easier it becomes -- increasing your stamina so you can do it for a longer time without tiring. As a bonus, the muscle definition you'll develop will look nice, too. You'll sometimes see strength and muscleendurance training listed separately, but there's a lot of overlap in the types of activities that will build strength and endurance (like weight training). Many aerobic activities also build muscle endurance (long distance running is a great cardio workout and also builds endurance, for example). If you're already doing aerobic and strength activities, you don't really need a separate type of activity to work on endurance.

 

 

 

Learn more: Weight training 101

 

 

 

Activities to try: Guide to strength training, Power yoga, abdominal exercises, exercise ball

 

 

 

Part 3: Flexibility

 

How often: At least 5 to10 minutes every day

 

 

 

The third main component of a good fitness plan is any activity that improves flexibility and balance. If your joints are limber, you'll have better range of motion and be less likely to get hurt while doing everyday activities like bending over or reaching for something on a high shelf. Flexibility may also help you avoid injuring yourself while playing sports -- say, swinging a golf club or lunging at a tennis ball. Stretching relaxes stiff muscles, which helps you relieve everyday stress and tension.

 

 

 

Though studies have not yet proven a clear benefit to stretching, most fitness experts advise it. Everyone can benefit from 10 minutes of daily stretching, especially people who have arthritis or stiffness. You can stretch as part of your aerobic or strength workouts while you cool down, during breaks at your desk, at night while you watch TV -- or just set aside 10 minutes a day for stretching. Remember, never stretch "cold" or you can strain your muscles. (Your muscles are cold first thing in the morning, or if you've been sitting still for a long time.) To warm up, walk or march in place for a few minutes, or start with very gentle movements.) Yoga and Pilates are excellent for improving flexibility and balance, and depending on intensity, they may also count toward aerobic exercise.Yoga and Pilates have another benefit -- they also improve muscle endurance. Pilates is particularly good for strengthening the core muscles -- the muscles that support your trunk. Remember, never stretch an injured area or push so hard that it hurts.