REGULAR EXERCISE
Good nutrition and regular exercise is the key to good health and living longer. Recent figures indicate that 70 % of American adults don’t get enough exercise. However, regular physical activity and exercise provides many health benefits. It reduces the risk of disease, helps with weight control, reduces stress, and improves your overall quality of life. It also helps you to feel good about yourself. Remember that being healthy is more than just being free from disease but is also a state of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Physical activity not only refers to structured exercise routines and sports but can also include activities such as gardening, yard work, or walking. However, if your lifestyle is predominantly sedentary or if you want to increase your activity level to lose some extra pounds, then you may want to begin a exercise regimen.

GETTING STARTED
1. See a Doctor
It’s important that you get a physical examination before starting any exercise program if:

• you have any medical problems

• are overweight

• are over the age of 40

• have not done any exercise for some time

If one or more of these conditions apply, your doctor can evaluate your current level of fitness and advise you on the duration and intensity of your exercise sessions.

2. Begin Gradually
If you’ve been sedentary for a while, it’s best to start slowly then gradually increase your efforts. Pushing yourself to hard to soon not only risks injury, but your more likely to give up before you see any benefits. While exercise should be challenging, it’s also important that you design a program that you enjoy and will continue to follow.

3. Set Realistic Goals
Set both short and long term goals based on your current physical condition. It you haven’t exercised for some time, you may want to exercise two to three times a week for the first month then gradually increase the intensity, duration, and frequency of your workouts.

4. Have a Plan
Select activities or exercises that you enjoy, start slowly, and stick with it. Exercise makes you feel good and once it becomes a habit you’ll begin to look forward to your workouts. Choose exercises that work all the major muscle groups, burns calories, and increases flexibility.

5. Don’t Expect Changes to Soon
Most times, significant improvement is not seen for three to four months so be patient and hang in there. You’ll know that your shaping up when your clothes start to fit better and you’ll begin to feel better as well.

6. Your Routine
There are many types of exercise but the most effective routines combine both anaerobic (resistance training) and aerobic exercise. This is especially true when trying to lose weight and body fat. Combining these two types of exercises also have increased health benefits such as better cardiovascular health.

WHAT CAN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DO FOR YOU
Some of the benefits of active living:

* Be healthier
* Increased chances of living longer
* Feel better about yourself
* Have less chance of becoming depressed
* Sleep better at night
* Be in shape
* Get around better
* Have stronger muscles and bones
* Helps to maintain or get to a healthy weight
* Be with friends or meet new people

When you are not physically active, you are more likely to:

* Get heart disease
* Get type 2 diabetes
* Have high blood pressure
* Have high blood cholesterol
* Have a stroke
* Have an increased risk of cancer

Contributing Editor: Becky Bullard

Tagged as: Fitness and Exercise