Exercise

The benefits of regular exercise

If you exercise regularly, you’re probably well aware of the benefits. If you’re just getting started, you’ll soon discover how much better exercise can make you feel—not just physically, but emotionally as well. Regular exercise:

Relieves tension and stress
Stimulates the mind
Helps to maintain a healthy weight
Improves muscle tone and strength
Increases your energy
Helps you to sleep
Lowers blood pressure
Increases good cholesterol
Helps to prevent type 2 diabetes
Improves flexibility
Controls appetite
Helps you meet new people
Provides entertainment

Do any of the benefits above motivate you? Are there other reasons you want to exercise?

Ready. Set. Go.

Getting started and staying motivated are not always easy. The following suggestions can help you stay on course.

Choose an exercise you like. You are more likely to succeed if you enjoy what you are doing.
Think outside the box. Don’t just think about jogging, swimming, biking or joining a gym. Dancing, gardening, yoga with a videotape or even housecleaning also can count as exercise.
Be proud of yourself for taking control of your health and your life. Many people feel awkward or unattractive when starting a new exercise program. Don’t let extra weight or lack of skill get in the way of starting.
Start with small, progressive steps towards your exercise goals. Your goal is to eventually exercise about 30 minutes most days. But if you are just starting out, ten minutes three times a week might be all you are ready to do. It’s more important to succeed at an easy goal than to set an ambitious goal only to fail.
Prevent barriers that might get in the way of your exercise plan. Do you need new walking shoes, air in your bicycle tires or a list of exercise classes in your community? Do you need video tapes or CD’s to entertain you? Will you need childcare or a better baby stroller? What will you do on rainy days or when the weather is too hot to exercise outdoors? Thinking ahead can help you stick with your exercise program.
Get support. Make plans to exercise with a friend. Tell others about your exercise goals and ask for their support. Consider classes or groups so that you have company to keep you motivated and entertained. Involve your coworkers, spouse or children. Children are more likely to exercise (and to eat right) if their parents do.
Write down your plan and the reason you want to exercise. Post it where you can see it.
Exercise longer (up to an hour at a time), not more strenuously, to improve your fitness.

Choosing the right type of exercise

Any kind of exercise is good for you unless you have a health problem that prevents certain activities. If you have an injury or a chronic health condition, check with your physician for guidelines about exercising safely. There are many different ways to exercise.

Aerobic exercises (exercises which get your heart pumping faster) condition your heart, lungs and muscles and also help with weight loss.
Outdoor exercise is particularly good for combating depression and PMS. Be sure to protect yourself from the sun and drink plenty of water.
Lifting weights strengthens muscles to help you look more toned. Plus, muscles burn more calories than fat. Any exercise against gravity, including walking or exercising in a chair, strengthens bones and helps to prevent osteoporosis.
Stretching exercises like yoga and tai chi can help with balance and chronic pain and are generally very relaxing (although some forms of yoga are aerobic as well).

Why not mix it up? Stretch after you go for a jog, or lift weights after you return from a bike ride. The more muscles you move, the better the benefits.

Warm up and cool down

To prevent injury, it’s important to warm up and cool down. Begin at a slow pace and use the first five minutes of your workout to allow your muscles to warm up. Stretch gently only after you have warmed up sufficiently. Use the last five minutes to cool down by doing your activity very slowly. Stretch at the end of the activity when your muscles are warm.