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How much exercise is good for health? The answer to this question varies, depending on age, underlying condition, severity, and other factors. It is better is to come to the precise question. How much exercise do you need? What type of exercise do you do? What type of exercise do you need? What has been your exercise pattern over the last twenty years? What is the mechanism involved in exercise and physical, psychological, and chemical well-being? What comes within chemical well-being? Blood sugar, cholesterol, etc. How do you know if you're doing light, moderate, or vigorous intensity aerobic activities? For most people, light daily activities such as shopping, cooking, or doing the laundry doesn't count toward the guidelines. Why? Your body isn't working hard enough to get your heart rate up. Moderate-intensity aerobic activity means you're working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. Here are some examples of activities that require moderate effort:
Doing water aerobics Riding a bike on level ground or with few hills Playing doubles tennis Pushing a lawn mower If you want to do more vigorous-level activities, slowly replace those that take moderate effort like brisk walking, with more vigorous activities like jogging. Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity means you're breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up quite a bit. If you're working at this level, you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath. Here are some examples of activities that require vigorous effort:
Swimming laps Riding a bike fast or on hills Playing singles tennis Playing basketball Some people like to do vigorous types of activity because it gives them about the same health benefits in half the time. If you haven't been very active lately, increase your activity level slowly. You need to feel comfortable doing moderate-intensity activities before you move on to more vigorous ones. The guidelines are about doing physical activity that is right for you. Muscle-strengthening activities – what counts? Besides aerobic activity, you need to do things to strengthen your muscles at least 2 days a week. These activities should work all the major muscle groups of your body (legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms). To gain health benefits, muscle-strengthening activities need to be done to the point where it's hard for you to do another repetition without help. A repetition is one complete movement of an activity, like lifting a weight or doing a sit-up. Try to do 8—12 repetitions per activity that count as 1 set. Try to do at least 1 set of muscle-strengthening activities, but to gain even more benefits, do 2 or 3 sets. You can do activities that strengthen your muscles on the same or different days that you do aerobic activity, whatever works best. Just keep in mind that muscle-strengthening activities don't count toward your aerobic activity total. There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles, whether it's at home or the gym. You may want to try the following: Lifting weights Working with resistance bands Doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance (i.e., push ups, sit ups) Heavy gardening (i.e., digging, shoveling) Stretching What if you have a disability? If you are an adult with a disability, regular physical activity can provide you with important health benefits, like a stronger heart, lungs, and muscles, improved mental health, and a better ability to do everyday tasks. It's best to talk with your health care provider before you begin a physical activity routine. Try to get advice from a professional with experience in physical activity and disability. They can tell you more about the amounts and types of physical activity that are appropriate for you and your abilities. |