Exercise
Never exercised before?
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Each exercise session should follow this pattern: warm up, stretch, aerobic exercise, cool down and stretch.
Begin exercising for a short time (e.g. ten minutes) on non-consecutive days (e.g. three days a week) with a small amount of effort.
Gradually increase the frequency, time and/or intensity of your exercise; increase the length of time you exercise for before you increase the intensity; increase your exercise time by five to ten minute increments.
Choose your exercise
Remove as many hurdles to exercising as possible, so choose an exercise which (i) you enjoy (ii) is convenient (iii) is affordable and (iv) you can assimilate into your lifestyle.
Don’t be tempted to take up an exercise which you think will be ‘good for you’ rather than one which you think is fun: it is likely to become a chore and you won’t stick at it. If time is a constraint, try to choose one which is convenient, e.g. walking, jogging or cycling from home; swimming on the way back from work. If you have children, try taking up an activity which you can enjoy as a family, e.g. cycling.
A common myth is that walking is too easy to be beneficial. Walking is an ideal form of exercise, particularly for beginners, which can make you fit as long as you walk at an appropriate level of difficulty and for enough time.
Swimming is another ideal exercise. It is a gentle aerobic activity which is ideal for those who are recovering from an injury, have joint problems, are overweight or who are pregnant.
Choose your time
Decide how often you are going to exercise a week, choose the most convenient days and times of day and set aside those times as you would for other essential commitments.Start slowly
Start with small amounts of time and little effort and increase gradually. Don’t try and do too much too soon, you may feel unwell and lose motivation to continue. A key to successful exercising is to start slowly, particularly if you have led a sedentary lifestyle. You will finish your exercise with a sense of achievement, feel better and give yourself the motivation to continue. It is also essential to start slowly to prevent injury.
Increase gradually
With increasing levels of fitness you will need to alter your exercise (frequency, time and/or intensity) to make sure you are still working your body more than it is used to. It is important to increase your exercise gradually. If you make your exercise too difficult or try to increase your difficulty level too soon before you are ready you might feel ill with the result that you begin to dislike exercising and lose motivation to continue.
Keep a diary
Keeping a diary of your exercise, i.e. how much time, how often and how difficult, can keep you motivated as you see your progress. You may also wish to record how you feel. A diary can also be useful in helping you decide when to increase your exercise in terms of frequency, time and intensity.
Invest in good equipment
If you choose to walk, it is very important to invest in a good pair of walking shoes which offer support for your spine, hips, knees, ankles and feet. You will also enjoy walking more with a comfortable, supportive pair of shoes. Incorporating walking into your daily activities is an excellent way to lead a more active lifestyle and for this you don’t necessarily need walking shoes, but if you are going to walk for a long period of time and with effort, it is advisable to wear shoes which will make the experience more enjoyable and support your body. If you progress to jogging, it is even more essential that you invest in a pair of good running shoes.
Some other do’s and don’ts
Don’t exercise until two or three hours after a meal. It is important to drink water before, during and after exercise to keep your body hydrated. Don’t exercise strenuously during very hot or humid weather.
Aches and pains
During exercise, if you feel sore or ache, rest if you feel you need to. It is not unnatural to feel sore or to ache after exercise if you are just beginning or have not exercised for a while. If however, you feel pain, stop exercising and check with your doctor.
Tips to incorporate exercise into your lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is an active one. As well as planned exercise (e.g. 30 minutes three times a week) you should also incorporate activity into your day-to-day life. The following are some ideas to help you to incorporate physical activity into your lifestyle.
· Take the stairs instead of lifts or elevators.
· If you work in a large office, walk to talk to your colleagues, rather than picking up the phone.
· If you use buses, get off a stop or two earlier and walk.
· Don’t worry about finding a car park next to the supermarket or shop entrance. By the time you have found a close park you could have walked from a further, empty and less stressful space!
· For small amounts of shopping or other errands use a bicycle instead of the car, saving you money and the hassle of finding a park. If you live in a town, you will probably save time and if you live in the country you can enjoy the
Warming up and cooling down
Depending on your exercise, your warm up and cool down could be the same activity, but performed at a less intense level. For example, if you planned a walk, walk at a slower pace for your warm up and cool down.
Warming up
· increases the blood flow to the muscles;
· decreases the chances of injuries to the muscles or joints;
· should be for 5 - 10 minutes at a very low intensity.
Cooling down
· prevents blood pooling in your extremities, e.g. your legs;
· should be about 5 minutes, gradually reducing intensity level.
Stretching
You should stretch your muscles after your warm-up and cool-down. Stretching is very important: it reduces risk of injury and stiffness, makes your muscles more able to perform the exercise and improves flexibility. A common mistake is to stretch muscles before they are warm. You must warm up first, then stretch your muscles. Stretching cold muscles could injure them. Stretch the muscles you are going to use in your exercise.Four aspects of exercise
(1) Cardiovascular fitness
This refers to the fitness level of your heart, lungs, veins and arteries which are responsible for processing and transporting oxygen to your muscles
(2) Muscular strength and (3) Endurance
If you do not use your muscles they will shrink. Muscular strength is necessary to perform fundamental movements of everyday life: lifting your children; carrying your shopping, even standing. Endurance (stamina) is necessary to continue to walk or carry your shopping without becoming tired.
(4) Flexibility
Flexibility is critical, yet often overlooked. Flexibility is the range of movement at a joint (where two or more bones meet). Without flexibility we will suffer from increased stiffness (and so an inability to perform simple tasks easily, like turning around to reverse park) poor posture and muscular tension, particularly in older age.
IF YOU HAVE ANY HEALTH ISSUES OR ARE OBESE IT IS VITAL THAT YOU CONTACT YOUR GP PRIOR TO COMMENCING ANY NEW EXERCISE