健康主义 简约主义

Exercise: How much should I do?

Exercise: How much should I do?

You know regular exercise helps protect your health. But what's considered "regular?" Do you have to work out like a bodybuilder, or is walking around the block enough?

Guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend:

30 minutes of moderate exercise — such as brisk walking, bicycling or recreational swimming — five times weekly.

Or,

20 minutes of vigorous exercise — such as jogging, running, playing basketball or lap swimming — three times weekly.

And,

A session of strength training — such as weight lifting, pushups, and sit-ups or other calisthenics — twice a week. Try to do eight to 10 different types of these exercises with eight to 12 repetitions each.

Caution: For safety's sake, see your doctor before significantly increasing your level of activity.

You always can do more!
The 20 or 30 minutes recommended is just an average of how much exercise tends to yield health benefits. Doing more is even better for you. In fact, you may need to do at least 60 to 90 minutes to lose weight or maintain weight loss.

Ready to get started?
Follow these tips to work fitness into your daily routine:

Chop it up. Can't do 30 minutes all at once? Doing it in 10-minute chunks throughout the day can be just as effective.

Mix and match moderate and vigorous activities. You can take brisk, 30-minute walks two days a week and go on 20-minute runs on two other days.

Choose activities you like. You don't want to get bored! And, you may be more likely to stick with it.

Bring the family. Play an active game in the park. Go on a hike or bike ride. Exercise is more fun as a group. And, it teaches kids the importance of fitness.

Following these guidelines can help you reduce risks for serious illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer. It also can help you stay strong, flexible and independent as you age.

posted by nUObEIER @ 1:54 PM