Health Tips : Finding Time to Exercise
It is great to spend some of your free summertime getting more physically fit by beginning an exercise program. In truth, exercise is one component of a healthy routine – in particular when you are looking to drop several pounds.
Depending on the types of activities you like, attempt to get either 30 minutes of moderate exercise (increased heart rate, but still able to carry on a conversation) on at least five days per week, or 20 minutes of vigorous exercise (sweating, breathing heavily) on at least three days per week.
There is not one “quick” exercise that will help you shed pounds, but if you follow the guidelines above, and eat a sensible diet, you will be on your way to a sustainable, healthful weight for you.
In order to lose weight, most people need a combination of increased activity and lowered caloric intake. Beyond weight control, exercise yields important health benefits, including
• reduced blood pressure
• improved sleep
• stress management
• increased level of good cholesterol (HDL)
• improved blood sugar levels (among numerous other positive effects)
We cannot choose and choose where on our bodies we lose fat. Although it’s possible to tone and strengthen specific muscles, fat won’t be diminished in a specific area by lifting weights or doing certain exercises focusing on that body part.
Body fat is reduced when we expend more calories than we take in – but we cannot control exactly where fat loss will take place.
Since your schedule may be especially tight, you can incorporate exercise into your daily travels. Bicycling or in-line skating to your destinations is a possible choice, perhaps as a way to keep active during the school year as well.
Taking the stairs whenever possible, getting off the bus or subway 1 or 2 stops earlier, parking further away if you drive, or even walking to work or school all contribute to your goal of being healthier by incorporating more movement into your life.
When you’re looking for a “total body workout” for the summer, consider swimming – which could also be a cooling activity if your summer is a hot one. Swimming engages lots of muscles and provides cardiovascular benefits, too.
Varying strokes can help work other muscles (like the breast stroke) or provide greater cardiovascular benefits (like the butterfly).
There’s no secret easy answer, short-cut, or abbreviated workout that’ll yield magical results. Working each muscle group at least twice a week assists strengthen muscles.
Although everybody responds to exercise at different rates, normally one or two sets of 8 to 12 repetitions, working the muscle to fatigue, is normally sufficient for strength building.
To maintain a fit body, it’s essential to carve some time into your schedule for exercise and planning healthy meals and snacks — however, as you can see, it does not have to be a lot of time.
Scheduling these types of activities in the calendar as you’d with social activities may help.
You can also make plans to exercise with a friend, multi-tasking this way can give you plenty of time to socialize and exercise.