You've decided it's time to start exercising. Congratulations! You've taken the first step on your way to a new and improved body and mind
"Exercise is the magic
pill," says Michael R. Bracko, EdD, FACSM, chairman of the American
College of Sports Medicine's Consumer Information Committee. "Exercise can
literally cure diseases like some forms of heart
disease. Exercise has been implicated in helping people prevent or recover from
some forms of cancer. Exercise
helps people with arthritis.
Exercise helps people prevent and reverse depression."
And there's no arguing
that exercise can help most people lose weight, as well as look more toned and
trim.
Of course, there's a catch. You need to get --
and keep -- moving if you want to cash in on the benefits. This doesn't
necessarily mean following a strict, time-consuming regimen at the gym --
although that can certainly reap benefits. The truth is you can get rewards
from many different types and levels of exercise.
"Any little increment of physical activity
is going to be a great boost to weight loss and feeling better," says Rita Redberg, MSc,
chairwoman of the American Heart Association's Scientific Advisory Board for
the Choose to Move program.
Your exercise options are numerous, including walking, dancing, gardening,
biking -- even doing household chores, says Redberg. The important thing is to
choose activities you enjoy, she says. That will increase your chances of
making it a habit.
And how much exercise should you do? For heart health, the AHA recommends
at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as walking,
on most days of the week.
Yet "if you're getting less than that,
you're still going to see benefits," says Redberg. "It's not like if
you can't do 30 minutes, you shouldn't do anything, because you're definitely
going to see benefits even at 5 or 10 minutes of moving around."
Ready to get started? Health and fitness experts
helped WebMD compile this beginner's guide to exercise, including definitions
of some common exercise terms, sample workouts, and recommendations on home exercise equipment.
A way to measure the intensity of your exercise
is to check your heart rate or pulse during physical activity. These should be
within a target range during different levels of intensity.
For example, according to the CDC, for
moderate-intensity physical activity, a person's target heart rate should be
50% to 70% of his or her maximum heart rate.
Get ReadyThe first step to any workout routine is to
evaluate how fit you are for your chosen physical activity. Whenever you begin
an exercise program, it's wise to consult a doctor. Anyone with major health
risks, males aged 45 and older, and women aged 55 and older should get medical
clearance, says Cedric Bryant, PhD, chief exercise physiologist for the
American Council on Exercise.
But no matter what your medical
condition, you can usually work out in some way.
"I can't think of any
medical issue that would get worse from the right kind of exercise," says
Stephanie Siegrist, MD, an orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Rochester,
N.Y.
After assessing your fitness, it
helps to set workout goals. For example, do you want to prepare to run a 5K?
Hit the gym five times a week? Or just walk around the block without getting
winded?
"Make sure the goals are
clear, realistic, and concise," says Sal Fichera, an exercise physiologist
and owner of New York-based Forza Fitness.
Whatever your goals and medical
condition, approach any new exercise regimen with caution.
"Start low and go
slow," advises Bryant. Many beginners make the mistake of starting out too
aggressively, only to give up when they end up tired, sore, or injured, he
says. Some get discouraged because they think an aggressive workout will
produce instant results.
"Generally speaking, when
people go about it too aggressively early in the program, they tend not to
stick with it over the long haul," says Bryant. "What you really want
to do is to develop some new habits that you can stick with for a
lifetime." To read the entire article please click here.
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