Exercise: What Kind Should You Do and When Will You Do
It?
Scheduling Your Exercise Time
Look at your daily schedule. At first glance it probably looks as
though not another thing could be added. But are you sure? Could you exercise
while you watch TV, or while you're on the phone? How about cutting your
friendly chats with relatives and friends a little bit shorter, or spending a
little less time with the sports page? Surely there's something you do that's
less important than your health and fitness?
Maybe you're one of those rare people who plan so well they have
zero slack time. How about waking up 30 minutes earlier? You'll feel so much
better from exercising that you'll probably never notice the difference.
Choosing the Right Amount of
Exercise
The amount of exercise that is right for
you depends on what you want to accomplish; every little bit helps. If you're
very new at this, you may want to start slowly, exercising for 5 or 10 minutes
each time. Gradually increase the amount of time so that you're eventually
exercising four or five times a week, for 30 minutes or more each
time.
If that's not possible, try to exercise as often as you can. And if you find
that regular exercise routines just don't work for you, look for other ways to
increase your activity. Walk, don't drive. Take the stairs instead of the
elevator. Keep your arms and legs moving when you're sitting at your desk—you
get the idea. If you get strange stares from your coworkers, tell them what
you're doing—maybe you can even get them to join in.
Don't forget to breathe
Don't forget to breathe sounds silly, doesn't it? But breathing steadily is
an important part of your exercise, even if all you're doing is stretching. So
breathe in deeply and exhale slowly, and keep going. By breathing correctly, you
help your lungs do a better job supplying your muscles with the oxygen they
need.
Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise
There are two basic forms of exercise. They are aerobic and
anaerobic, and they differ in many particulars. However, both forms of
exercise can offer substantial benefits.
When you exercise aerobically, you raise your heart rate to 60% to
80% of its maximum rate for at least 20 minutes. You can calculate your maximum
rate by subtracting your age from 220. Your goal is to reach at most 80%of
maximum. The benefits of aerobic exercise include:
- Improved cardiovascular strength
- Increased stamina
- Burning of body fat after 20 minutes
Aerobic exercises include:
- Walking
- Rowing
- Aerobic classes
- Swimming
- Cross-country skiing
- Stair stepping
- Biking
- Skating
- Tennis
Anaerobic exercise involves short bursts of exertion
followed by periods of rest. Unlike aerobics, anaerobic exercises enable you to
change the actual shape of your body (aerobic exercise will result in a smaller
version of the body you already have). Other benefits of anaerobic exercise
include:
- Increased calorie burning 24 hours a day
- A more muscular body
- Ideal exercise for those who dislike aerobics
Anaerobic exercises include:
- Strength training
- Push-ups
- Crunches or sit-ups
- Pull-ups
- Leg raises
Information courtesy of Cigna Behavioral Health (Alcoa's
Employee Assistance Program provider)
