Exercise can be hard to fit into your daily life, especially if you have health issues or pain. Try to start with realistic goals you can achieve and keep going. Shorter but more frequent sessions may work better for you. You don’t need to spend hours in a gym or force yourself into boring workouts to enjoy the benefits of exercise. Get creative! Aerobic Exercise Aerobic exercise is the foundation of any fitness routine. It can be walking, jogging, bicycling, swimming, stair climbing or elliptical training. The key is to pick an activity that you can sustain for at least 30 minutes. If you’re not able to keep up with that length of workout, your intensity should be lower. Long-standing research shows that aerobic exercise reduces health risks, helps you manage your weight and boosts your mood. It can also strengthen the immune system and moderate blood sugar and blood pressure levels. Talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise routine, especially if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or a joint injury. He or she can help you set realistic goals. It’s also important to find an activity that you enjoy and can stick with long-term. That way, it will be easier to stay motivated and avoid burnout or injuries. You should also drink eight ounces of water every 15 minutes while exercising. Strength Training Strength training increases muscle, tendon and ligament strength; improves bone density and metabolism; and boosts coordination, balance and the ability to perform functional movements. It can also help prevent injury, especially in the back, wrists, elbows and groin. If you’re new to exercise or unsure about your fitness levels, talk to your GP or health professional before starting a strength training program. A trained exercise physiologist or certified trainer can teach you the correct technique and advise you on a safe workout program for your specific needs. Even if you don’t go to the gym, you can incorporate some simple resistance exercises into your daily routine. Carrying heavy bags of shopping up the stairs, picking up your children or squatting down to tie your shoes will all become easier when you’re used to working your muscles. The key is to do a number of sets that fatigue your muscles. Start with low weights or body weight and increase your resistance, amount of sets or number of reps gradually. Flexibility Training Flexibility training is a type of exercise that involves stretching your muscles until they are loosened up and lithe. It can be beneficial in that tight muscles often create problems throughout the entire body, and stretching can help alleviate these issues. Flexibility training isn’t a separate part of a workout routine, but can be worked in with other types of exercises such as cardio or strength days. The goal of flexibility training is to improve your range of motion and mobility. The more flexible your body is, the better you can perform a wide variety of activities. Flexibility is also important for decreasing your risk of injury. Adding flexibility training to your workouts can also help prevent injuries, such as muscle strains and joint dislocations. It can also help to maintain the ability to perform everyday tasks and slow down bone and muscle loss associated with aging. Balance Training While the other two types of exercise – endurance and strength – get all the attention, balance exercises can be quite beneficial for the body as well. In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends including balance training in all healthy workout programs. Balance involves the coordination of different systems in your body that work together to control your center of gravity. These include the eyes, inner ear and receptors on muscles, tendons and joints in your skin (proprioceptive system). By increasing proprioception, you can improve the body’s natural feedback system and increase reaction speed. Performing balance exercises such as plank or single leg stances help strengthen core muscles, which can decrease back pain and posture problems. In addition, incorporating dynamic balance exercises can also improve athletic performance as well as prevent injuries. Dynamic balance is the ability to maintain stability while changing positions over a base of support, such as jumping to land on one foot from a tandem jump or squat.Träning
How to Fit Exercise Into Your Daily Life
