| Any type of physical activity you choose to | | | | rate is high (80's or 90's) and the body does not |
| do--strenuous activities such as running or aerobic | | | | have enough oxygen, so the person gets tired |
| dancing or moderate-intensity activities such as | | | | very quickly. On the other hand, the person in |
| walking or household work--will increase the | | | | good physical condition will have to work harder |
| number of calories your body uses (remember, | | | | to reach the target heart rate because the |
| calories in - calories out.) And the good news is it's | | | | resting heart rate is low (50's). Remember, the |
| easier than one thinks to perform numerous | | | | heart becomes a more efficient pump - delivering |
| aerobic activities throughout the day. | | | | the oxygen needed with fewer beats. Therefore, |
| So we all know we're supposed to exercise. So | | | | it takes more effort to get the heart rate up to |
| what? Without getting to technical, here are a | | | | 170. |
| couple reasons we all need to get out and | | | | Low impact versus High impact |
| exercise...NOW. | | | | Aerobic activity is often coined either High Impact |
| - Exercise improves the strength and pumping | | | | or Low Impact. The basic difference is that one |
| efficiency of the heart, enabling more blood to be | | | | foot always stays on the floor and supports the |
| pumped with each stroke. This improves the | | | | weight of the body in low-impact aerobics. |
| ability to more rapidly transport life sustaining | | | | High-impact aerobics include actions that take both |
| oxygen from the lungs to the heart and to all | | | | feet off the floor, thus causing more jarring of |
| parts of the body. | | | | the joints when the body weight hits the floor |
| - Exercise tones up muscles throughout the body, | | | | again. An example of Low Impact is walking while |
| thereby improving the general circulation, at times | | | | High Impact is jogging or jumping up and down. |
| lowering the blood pressure and reducing the | | | | The point is not to make physical activity an |
| work on the heart. | | | | unwelcome chore, but to make the most of the |
| - Exercise causes an increase in the total amount | | | | opportunities you have to be active. |
| of blood circulating through the body and | | | | It is important to start at a low intensity and |
| increases the number of red blood cells and the | | | | increase this over the following few weeks as the |
| amount of hemoglobin (matter which conveys | | | | exercise feels easier. For example, 20 minutes of |
| oxygen to tissues), making the blood a more | | | | walking, jogging or a combination of walking |
| efficient oxygen carrier. | | | | jogging may be sufficient to leave you rather |
| - This increase in circulation has a twofold benefit | | | | breathless and fairly tired at the start of your |
| to the body. First, an abundant supply of oxygen | | | | program, but as the weeks go by, you may need |
| is taken not only to the muscles, but also to | | | | to increase the pace or introduce jogging up |
| every part of the system. | | | | some shallow hills to achieve a further increase in |
| - And second, the blood is circulated through the | | | | fitness. |
| eliminating organs at a much greater amount, thus | | | | To continue to increase your fitness level, you will |
| resulting in an increase in the elimination of the | | | | have to increase the time spent exercising |
| body's wastes. Both of these are essential for | | | | aerobically to 30 minutes per session for up to |
| good health and healing. | | | | five sessions per week. |
| There's been a lot of talk about good and bad | | | | Examples of mild to moderate aerobic activities: |
| cholesterol lately. Well, aerobic exercise can raise | | | | - Take a short walk around the block |
| your body's high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels | | | | - Rake leaves |
| (good cholesterol) and lower your body's | | | | - Play actively with the kids |
| low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (bad | | | | - Walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator |
| cholesterol), improving blood flow, and increasing | | | | - Mow the lawn |
| your heart's working capacity. | | | | - Take an activity break--get up and stretch or |
| To make a long story short, a physically fit | | | | walk around |
| person has greater ability to tolerate the physical | | | | - Park your car a little farther away from your |
| challenges of daily life, whereas an unfit person | | | | destination |
| would terminate activity because of fatigue. | | | | Examples of higher intensity aerobic activities: |
| Trying to lose or maintain weight? Physical activity | | | | - Brisk walking |
| helps to control your weight by using excess | | | | - Jogging |
| calories that otherwise would be stored as fat. | | | | - Bicycling |
| The number of calories you eat and use each day | | | | - Swimming |
| regulates your body weight. Everything you eat | | | | - Aerobic dancing |
| contains calories, and everything you do uses | | | | - Racket sports |
| calories, including sleeping, breathing, and digesting | | | | - Rowing |
| food. Any physical activities in addition to what | | | | - Ice or roller-skating |
| you normally do will use extra calories. | | | | - Cross-country or downhill skiing |
| So now we have a little of the technical | | | | - Using aerobic equipment (i.e., treadmill, stationary |
| information on why exercise is good for the body | | | | bike) |
| (and soul we should add.) But where do we start | | | | Exercise can have a surprising number of benefits: |
| and what types of exercise should we be | | | | it can improve your cardiovascular fitness and |
| focusing on? | | | | muscular endurance, which translates into an |
| First, your heart rate | | | | increase in energy; it can dramatically reduce the |
| While exercising, you want to work hard enough | | | | risk of coronary artery disease; it may also help |
| (intensity) for your heart rate to reach between | | | | lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and |
| 140 and 170, which is approximately double your | | | | aid in weight control; and it appears to give |
| resting rate. A person who is in poor physical | | | | self-esteem a measurable boost, and in general to |
| condition will reach the Target Heart Rate with | | | | improve your sense of well-being. |
| very little effort expended because the resting | | | | |