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Home News Regular Exercise: What Do I Really Have to Do?

Regular Exercise: What Do I Really Have to Do?

Published: Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Regular exercise means you exercise hard enough at least three times a week so you breathe hard and sweat for at least 20 minutes each time. It also reduces body fat because the activity you are doing burns calories.

According to the U.S. Office of Women’s Health, only four in 10 women engage in recommended levels of physical activity. Other exercise trends reveal that activity decreases with age and is less common among those with lower income and less education.

Types of Exercise

Aerobic exercise is exercise that keeps your heart rate higher than normal for at least 10 to 15 minutes at a time, requiring the use of oxygen. An example is jogging.

Anaerobic exercise is brief, intense exercise that leads to an oxygen debt in a certain area of tissue. An example is weight lifting.

Benefits of Regular Exercise

• Reduces your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity.
• Keeps joints, tendons and ligaments flexible so it’s easier to move around.
• Reduces some of the effects of aging.
• Contributes to your mental well-being and helps treat depression.
• Helps relieve stress and anxiety.
• Increases your energy and endurance.
• Helps you sleep better.
• Helps you maintain a normal weight by increasing your metabolism (the rate you burn calories).

How Do I Get Started?

Start by talking to your doctor. This is especially important if you have not been active, if you have any health problems, if you are pregnant or elderly.

Start out slowly. Begin with a 10-minute period of light exercise or a brisk walk every day and gradually increase how hard you exercise and for how long.

Choose to do something you like such as biking, walking, tennis or aerobics. You are more likely to stick with it if you enjoy it. Set a goal to exercise regularly for three weeks. By then, you will begin to see the benefits and have created a new habit.

You also can build exercise into your every day activities such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking the dog for 15 minutes longer each day or doing yard work. It is important to keep your body moving.

Measuring Your Heart Rate

The number of times you feel your heart beat in a minute is your heart rate. Rest in a chair for 10 minutes. Press your finger gently next to your Adam’s apple. Count the number of beats you feel for 10 seconds. Multiply by 6 to get your resting heart rate.

What is My Target Heart Rate During Exercise? The chart shows the target heart rates for people of different ages. When you are just beginning an exercise program, shoot for the lower target heart rate (60%). As your fitness improves, you can exercise harder to get your heart rate closer to the top number (85%). Click here to use the Target Heart Rate Calculator.

Read more about Exercise.