| Physical activity is essential for
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| | if you try something and don't like it,
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| general good health. It reduces the risk
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| | try something else. If you try something
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| of coronary heart disease, stroke,
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| | for a few weeks and it gets boring, try
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| diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood
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| | something else. If you find something you
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| pressure, obesity and certain types of
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| | enjoy doing, bingo! You'll be more likely
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| cancer. It is also beneficial for
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| | to stick at it.Incidental exerciseThere
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| psychological health.We hear this all the
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| | are plenty of everyday activities that
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| time, via the media, our doctors, even
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| | are not necessarily perceived as
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| friends and relatives, yet so many of us
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| | exercise, yet they are still of moderate
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| still seem to find it hard to dig up the
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| | physical intensity. Things you do
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| enthusiasm to do any exercise at all.How
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| | regularly, or even every day, such as
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| much exercise should you be doing?The
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| | walking, gardening, housework,
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| Chief Medical Officer recommends adults
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| | decorating, washing the car and climbing
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| do at least 30 minutes of moderate
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| | stairs are all types of incidental
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| intensity physical activity, on five days
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| | exercise. Exercise happens as a result of
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| of the week. Every week. Unfortunately
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| | doing these things, rather than being the
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| this news is often greeted by moans and
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| | sole reason for doing them.If you really
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| groans the length and breadth of the
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| | can't bring yourself to exercise for the
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| country along with the synchronised
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| | sake of it, incorporating more incidental
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| whistling of kettles, rather than people
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| | exercise into your daily routine is a
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| jumping up out of their armchairs and
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| | good idea. An hour of vigorous housework
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| getting their running shoes on.In fact,
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| | will help get your house clean and give
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| the Health Survey for England shows that
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| | you a work out. Always use stairs instead
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| just 35 percent of men and 24 percent of
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| | of the escalator or lift. Walk instead of
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| women met the physical activity targets
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| | taking the car. You get the general
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| in 2003.Moderate intensity physical
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| | idea.Break it upThere is more good news.
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| activity means at a level where you
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| | You don't have to meet your daily target
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| experience an increase in heart rate and
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| | for physical activity all in one go. It
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| your breathing becomes faster, which is
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| | can be intermittent.Breaking up exercise
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| somewhere between 50 and 75 percent of
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| | sessions into smaller chunks of 10 to 15
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| your maximum heart rate. This is known as
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| | minutes can have significant health
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| the 'target heart rate zone' (see note
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| | benefits, as long they accumulate to at
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| below to work this out).You should feel
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| | least 30 minutes per day. This is an
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| warm, possibly breaking out in a sweat
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| | excellent way to ease yourself in gently
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| depending on the temperature and your
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| | if you have been a couch potato all your
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| level of fitness, but you should be able
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| | life or lack of time is an issue.Ten
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| to keep it up for many minutes without
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| | minutes here, 15 minutes there, it all
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| becoming fatigued and still be able to
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| | adds up. You don't have to launch
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| hold a conversation. Good examples of
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| | yourself into an intense one hour a day
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| moderate intensity activities include
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| | aerobic and strength-training regime. The
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| brisk walking, cycling, swimming,
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| | total time you spend being physically
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| gardening, housework and even mowing the
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| | active each day is more important than
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| lawn.Get motivatedSo how can you motivate
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| | the actual length of each exercise
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| yourself to make a commitment to regular
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| | session.Do it for youLike all our
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| exercise for the rest of your life,
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| | achievements in life, it's great if we
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| without perceiving it as a chore?Think
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| | can get family and friends to support our
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| about the advantages of being physically
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| | efforts. However, making a commitment to
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| active. Aside from greatly reducing your
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| | exercise requires self-motivation; you
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| risk of certain chronic diseases there
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| | can't rely on someone else to do it for
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| are other more obvious benefits that will
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| | you.If you can find someone to 'get fit
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| quickly become apparent.You will notice
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| | with' it can be very encouraging, but you
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| both psychological and physical changes,
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| | never know when he or she will become
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| such as improved mood and self-esteem,
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| | unavailable and you will be left on your
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| reduced anxiety, improved muscle
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| | own.The key to long-term physical fitness
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| strength, tone and flexibility and you
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| | is to embrace exercise as a significant
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| will have more energy. Let's not forget
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| | aspect of your life, rather than
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| the fact that exercise aids weight
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| | something that you just fit in as a
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| loss.Your overall physical condition will
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| | matter of necessity. Think of it as
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| improve as your heart and lungs become
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| | something you enjoy, not something you
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| more efficient -- you will be able to
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| | have to put up with, and you won't go far
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| climb stairs without gasping for breath.
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| | wrong.How to work out your target heart
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| If you can be bothered to make the effort
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| | rate zone:Depending on which source you
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| to become more active, it will give you
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| | consult, the upper and lower limits for
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| so much more in return.Structured
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| | target heart rate vary. According to the
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| exerciseMany people enjoy and are able to
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| | American College of Sports Medicine the
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| stick to a structured fitness program at
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| | target heart rate zone is 50 to 75
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| a gym or health club; however, it's not
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| | percent of your maximum heart rate.To
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| for everyone. Drop out rates from such
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| | estimate your maximum heart rate, take
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| programs are high, with about half the
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| | your age from 220.For example, a
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| people who join them quitting within a
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| | 30-year-old person's maximum heart rate
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| year of doing so.Most of us know someone
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| | would be 190 beats per minute (bpm): 220
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| with a gym membership who hardly ever
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| | - 30 years = 190 bpm.The upper and lower
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| goes. Structured fitness programs can be
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| | limits while exercising would be:95 bpm:
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| hard to fit in to a busy routine and
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| | 190 x 0.50 = 95 (lower limit at 50%)143
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| health club memberships can be expensive.
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| | bpm: 190 x 0.75 = 143 (upper limit at
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| If you sign up and don't go you will just
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| | 75%)So for someone aged 30 their heart
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| end up feeling even worse than before you
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| | rate should be somewhere between 95 and
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| started!Find something you enjoy
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| | 143 beats per minute when they are
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| doingContrary to popular belief, exercise
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| | performing physical exercise of moderate
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| does not have to involve trekking to the
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| | intensity.How to work out if your heart
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| gym, and it does not have to be boring.
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| | rate is within your target heart rate
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| There is an abundance of activities to
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| | zone:Take your pulse at the wrist or neck
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| choose from, in a variety of different
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| | by counting the number of beats for 15
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| settings.To name a few: running, walking,
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| | seconds and multiplying by four. This
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| hiking, bicycling, aerobics, bowling,
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| | will give you the number of beats per
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| lifting weights, golf, tennis, table
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| | minute. Or use a heart rate monitor if
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| tennis, badminton, swimming, dancing, ice
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| | you find this difficult. The number of
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| skating, roller skating, karate, boxing,
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| | beats per minute should be within your
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| rowing, football, netball, hockey,
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| | target heart rate zone. If this number is
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| skiing, rock climbing.These activities
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| | too high, you are working too hard. If it
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| can be done recreationally or
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| | is too low you need to step up the
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| competitively, and some may even be done
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| | intensity.It may help you to start by
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| in the comfort of your own home,
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| | aiming for the 50 percent level of your
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| depending on your personal preference.Not
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| | target heart rate zone and building up
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| everyone enjoys the same activities. Just
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| | the intensity gradually. Stop if you feel
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| because your neighbour goes to the gym
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| | uncomfortable. Remember, whatever level
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| every night after work come rain or shine
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| | you are at every little bit counts!If you
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| doesn't mean you should follow suit. If
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| | are very overweight, or in any doubt
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| you feel uncomfortable working out with
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| | about your health consult your
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| complete strangers, this probably isn't
| |
| | doctor.Sharon Kirby is a freelance writer
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| the right thing for you.Take the time to
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| | from West Sussex, England and specialises
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| find something that fits your
| |
| | in writing about fitness and health.
|
| personality. There are plenty of options;
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| |
|
