Make sure your routine includes aerobics, strength training, core exercises, balance and flexibility training, and stretching. You may just be starting to take the first steps on the path to physical fitness. Or you may be excited about exercising and want to improve your results. Aerobic exercise, which accelerates your heart rate and breathing, is important for many bodily functions.
It trains the heart and lungs and increases endurance. If you're too windy to climb a flight of stairs, that's a good indicator that you need more aerobic exercise to help condition your heart and lungs and bring enough blood to your muscles to help them function efficiently, Wilson says. Aerobic exercise also helps to relax the walls of blood vessels, lower blood pressure, burn body fat, lower blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation, improve mood, and increase good HDL cholesterol. Combined with weight loss, it can also lower levels of bad LDL cholesterol.
In the long term, aerobic exercise reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, breast and colon cancer, depression, and falls. As we age, we lose muscle mass. Regular strength training will help you feel more confident and able to perform daily tasks, such as carrying food, working in the garden, and lifting heavier objects around the house. Strength training will also help you get out of a chair, get up off the floor and climb the stairs, Wilson says.
A physical therapist can design a strength training program that you can do two or three times a week in the gym, at home, or at work. It will likely include bodyweight exercises, such as squats, push-ups and lunges, and exercises that involve resistance with a dumbbell, band, or weight machine. There are gyms and other fitness providers with many different types of classes, exercise routines and equipment, catering to a wide range of people. The most common types of exercise include aerobics, strength training, calisthenics, HIIT, training camps, flexibility and stability.
You can do them individually or in combination. Just start your workout with some aerobic exercises, such as balancing your arms, kicking your legs and doing lunges while walking. Some ideas for cooling down include walking lightly after aerobic exercise or stretching after resistance training. Its main benefits include helping you achieve and maintain a healthy body weight and muscle mass and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
In addition, research has shown that exercise can improve your mood, improve your mental health, help you sleep better, and even improve your sex life. It will also guide you to start and maintain an exercise program that fits your abilities and lifestyle.
