Are You Getting Enough Exercise?
‘Exercise’ is one of those terms that have vastly different meanings for different people. What does it mean to you?
If you are reading this article, it is most likely because you are aware that you probably aren’t doing enough exercise. But then again, what is enough?
Have you always been mostly sedentary? Except when forced into doing sports at school, have you avoided much regular physical exertion?
Or perhaps you were physically active in your younger years through work or sports, but have been a desk jockey for the last decade or two?
What Happens When You Don’t Exercise Enough
Most telling is when you need to exert yourself, can you do it without becoming breathless and is your heart pounding? Do your muscles ache for days after you do things that you used to do without even thinking about it?
In the back of your mind, you know that you should be doing more, but you probably don’t fully recognize just how much of your health, longevity, and joy of living is affected by how much or how little you exercise.
These articles will explain the benefits of exercising, not just for physical fitness, but for strength, mobility, flexibility, and suppleness, and for mental and emotional well being.
These articles are not filled with bland generalizations. It is a guide that explains what exercises and types of exercises are best for specific requirements, whether that be aerobic fitness, strength gains, increased flexibility, and mobility, or improved overall health and well being.
How To Get Fit and Healthy
Living a healthy lifestyle is not easy, that’s for sure. Busy schedules and take-out dinners equal disaster for our health and wellness. Our unhealthy habits can put us at a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and mental health issues.
You don’t need to wait or make excuses as to why you can’t when it comes to starting to be fit and healthy. You can start at any time of the year and today is the best time to begin your journey towards a healthier you.
To stay fit and healthy at home, it all starts with the right mindset, a healthy diet, and exercise.
Set Realistic Health Goals
Having lofty expectations about going on a diet might just set you up for failure. It is important to keep your goals and expectations realistic, especially at the beginning of your health journey.
Setting realistic goals increases your chance of sticking to them in the long run.
Track Your Food Intake
Tracking your food intake is a big help in going on a healthy diet. We tend to overeat when we are not able to monitor and review our food intake. By tracking what we eat, we can analyze our eating habits and be able to make changes to our diet.
An app for tracking food intake can help you track your food consumption. Food tracking apps also allow you to track your calorie intake and your carb intake, which is a helpful way to lose weight. But a pen and a handy notebook can work just as well, too.
Change Your Food Shopping Habits
Don’t fall into the temptation of eating unhealthy foods by shopping in the wrong grocery aisles. Avoid buying junk foods and processed snacks, as well as canned meats that contain preservatives and unhealthy trans fat.
If you live with people who eat food that is not conducive to good health, try to keep the tempting food in places you don’t get to see much. Out of sight, out of mind.
Another shopping tip is to never shop when hungry. Studies show that we tend to over shop for food when we are hungry, and there is a higher tendency to shop for junk foods.
How To Start Exercising Regularly
Choose An Exercise That Works For You
Running, cycling, weights, HIIT, yoga, or Zumba? The choices may overwhelm you. But the good thing about it is that there is a workout that can work for you.
Do you like building friendships and feeding off others’ energy? Then group fitness events would work for you.
If you like spending some time by yourself to clear your mind, running might do the trick.
Don’t be afraid to dip your toes in different types of fitness activities to see what you like.
Make a Time To Exercise and Stick to Your Schedule
A lot of us find it difficult to make time for working out. One way to help you stick to it better is to set it as an appointment. You wouldn’t just cancel a work meeting, right?
Apply the same mentality when it comes to exercising. Pencil it in your daily schedule and try to work out at the same time slot to help you build the habit.
Start Small and Exercise To Your Ability
Setting realistic expectations for yourself will increase your chances of sticking to the workout in the long run. There is no need to exercise like a pro-athlete on your first attempt. The key to exercising regularly is to slowly build up your routine.
If you don’t have an hour every day to work out, you can start with as little as 10 minutes a day, and build your way up. You can also try exercising twice a week and slowly increase it to three, four, or five times.
We all know that having a healthy lifestyle will greatly benefit our well-being. It takes discipline, determination, and motivation to change our unhealthy habits.
Though it may be challenging at times, we can be sure that we will eventually reap the rewards of having a healthy and fit body.
Exercising for Health and Fitness
If you have decided to start exercising, then congratulations on taking this big step towards becoming healthy! Exercising is one of the essential ways we can achieve optimum health.
It lowers our risk for chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, and it can also help improve our brain function and boost our mood. Regular exercise can also alleviate the symptoms of arthritis.
Exercising for health and fitness can quite often appear daunting, as there are so many different types of workouts, machines, gyms, etc.
Seniors especially worry their current physical limitations may make them unfit for certain exercises. It’s time to put many of the concerns aside as anyone can become fit at any age.
Here are some tips and different exercises to get you started on your fitness journey.
Before Exercising
For those who are new to exercising, it is recommended to get a clearance from your doctor first. If you have lived a sedentary existence until now it is essential to not overdo things in the beginning.
Your doctor will be able to evaluate your current fitness level and any health problems you need to address. People with pre-existing health conditions are also advised to see their doctor and obtain clearance before exercising.
Doctors recommend that an exercise session should always start with a series of light stretching as a warm-up for a few minutes. Once your muscles are warmed up, you can now begin your workout.
Types of Exercises and Their Benefits
Below are 3 types of exercises that will help you achieve overall physical wellness. There is no need to do these exercises all at once, but doing them all regularly can help you achieve more balanced fitness.
1. Cardiovascular Exercises
These are exercises that increase your heart rate, such as walking, running, dancing, cycling, or moves like skipping and jumping rope.
2. Strength Conditioning
These are moves that target specific muscle groups, like the upper or lower body. Weights and resistance bands are used to build strength and tone the muscle. Begin by doing various moves such as squats and lunges using only your body weight before moving on to using weights.
3. Flexibility Training
You can end your cardio and strength workouts with slow and static stretching for about 10 seconds per stretch. Or you can do a stretching session on its own. For those who are new to exercising, working out with a trainer in the gym is highly recommended.
A trainer can guide you in doing the different moves that are appropriate to your fitness level. Your trainer will teach you the proper position and placement of your body as you go through the different exercises.
If the gym is not your thing, you can join a yoga or pilates class. Both disciplines are great for building strength and flexibility, too, and a certified instructor will be able to guide you as you go through the workout.
Doing sports that you enjoy is also good exercise. Whether it is running, swimming, or playing tennis, sports can increase your stamina and build your strength, as well.
Dancing is another amazing exercise that does not only increase your heart rate, it is also a great confidence booster, and to mention, fun! You can try joining a Zumba class or do ballroom dancing. The instructors are also well-equipped in guiding students from all fitness levels.
Working out at home is another option. The Internet is full of various resources and materials to help you exercise. You can also download a fitness app on your phone to guide you in every move. Exercising in front of a mirror will help ensure that your posture is correct.
The most difficult part of exercising is actually starting to exercise. Exercising regularly can help you form the habit. When exercising, you must listen to your body and know when to stop or lessen the intensity. Never rush yourself in achieving your goals and give yourself enough time to reach them.
Last but certainly not least, don’t forget to enjoy working out. There is no sense in working out if you see it as a form of punishment. Find ways to make it fun for you, and before you know it, you will be reaping the benefits of a healthy and fit body.
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