What Can Physical Activity Do For You?
• Gives you more energy
• Improves your mood
• Reduces body fat and firms muscles
• Lowers body weight
• Reduces stress, anxiety and depression
• Lowers risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure
How Active Should You Be?
Accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week
• Moderate activity can include daily activities like walking briskly, bicycling and house cleaning or working out at the gym
• You can split your activities into three 10-minute segments
Plan Activity into Your Schedule
• Set realistic goals
• Begin slowly
• Write specific activities on your calendar or appointment book
7:00am Walk dog10:00am Walk 10 minutes during break12:00pm Walk 15 minutes after lunch7:30pm Vacuum downstairs for 15 minutes
How Can You Become More Fit?
• Increase everyday activities
• Begin a structured exercise program
Increasing Everyday Activities
Choose to be more active:• at home
• at work
• during leisure time
Be More Active at Home
• Walk your dog
• Make several trip up and down stairs throughout the day
• Take activity breaks
during TV commercials
Be More Active at Home
• Do your own house cleaning,
lawn maintenance, gardening
• Walk briskly around your
neighborhood
Be More Active at Work
• Park your car at the far end of the parking lot and walk for 10 minutes
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Get up from computer to walk
every 30-60 minutes
Be More Active at Work
• Take a 10-15 minute walking
break at lunch and coffee breaks
• Park and walk inside restaurants
instead of using drive-through
Be More Active During Leisure Time
Get your family involved in physical rather than sedentary activities:
• Plan activities like hiking, bicycling, dancing
• Visit museums and the zoo
• Join a walking club in your area
• Take up tennis or golf
Be More Active During Leisure Time
• Take classes in dance, yoga, tai chi, or water aerobics
• Play games like soccer, volleyball,
or badminton with the entire
family
Starting an Exercise Program A good exercise program includes:
• Stretching– To improve flexibility and prevent injury
• Endurance– To improve fitness of your heart and lungs,
lower risk of heart and other chronic diseases
• Strength training– To strengthen muscles and increase endurance
Types of Activities
Choose moderate-intensity activities that:
• You will enjoy
• You can do all year round
Include a variety of activities to prevent boredom and help prevent injury
Moderate-Intensity Activities
• Brisk walking– Usually convenient for most people– Indoor facilities available in many areas
• Swimming– If indoor pool is unavailable, have
alternative activity for cold weather
• Stationary bike
• Dancing
Exercise Sessions
Each exercise session should include:• Warm-up
• Work-out
• Cool-down
Warm-up
• Begin activity at slow pace for 5-10 minutes
• Warms up muscles and joints
• Helps prevent injury to muscles
Work-Out
• Work toward doing a moderate-intensity activity for at least 30 minutes most days of the week
• Perform at an intensity that is challenging, but not too strenuous– Take the talk test - you should be
able to talk while exercising
Measuring Heart Rate
• Determine your target heart range.
• Test your pulse at your wrist or neck for 10 seconds immediately after you stop exercising.
• Multiply this number by 6 to determine if your heart rate during exercise is in your target range.
Cool-Down
• Gradually slow the pace of your activity for the last 5-10 minutes– Gradually brings heart rate back to normal
• Always finish with stretching– Keeps you flexible– Prevents injuries
Strengthen Muscles
Include muscle-strengthening exercises twice per week to:
• Improve balance
• Reduce risk of osteoporosis
• Improve flexibility
• Tone muscles
• Prevent muscle loss
Top Related