From the gym to dance classes to walking your dog, there are dozens of ways to incorporate physical activity into your lifestyle. Exercise is crucial to a long, healthy life, and although any exercise is better than none, experts agree that working out several times a week is key to physical fitness and overall good health.
Guidelines
Most adults need 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity on at least five days per week, according to MedlinePlus, a service of the National Institutes of Health. That amount will help maintain physical fitness and heart health. If you're trying to lose weight, recent research suggests you need more exercise than that; a 2010 study in the journal "Archives of Internal Medicine," cited by the "Los Angeles Times," reported that overweight women required an hour of exercise per day, five days a week, to sustain weight loss.
Types
Most exercise falls under two types --- cardiovascular and strength training. Cardiovascular exercise gets your heart rate up, the Family Doctor website explains, and is performed for an extended length of time; examples include jogging, bicycling, sports, aerobics, brisk walking and so on. Strength training includes lifting weights, toning exercises such as sit-ups and other exercises designed to build muscle. You should ideally do a mix of cardiovascular exercise and strength training, avoiding lifting weights two days in a row to help your muscles recover.
Benefits
In addition to helping you look good, regular exercise makes daily activities easier by helping your body reach an optimal level of physical fitness. If you work out regularly, simple activities like climbing a flight of stairs won't be as tiring as they would if you were sedentary. According to MedlinePlus, people who are physically active live longer and feel better. Regular exercise can help prevent diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer.
Considerations
Not everyone can exercise safely. If you have a heart condition or are recovering from a serious injury or illness, ask your doctor whether you can participate in physical activity. Although exercise can be difficult, it shouldn't truly hurt --- don't try to lift more weight than you can safely handle, for example. Always warm up and stretch before exercising or lifting weights to prevent injury, Family Doctor instructs.
Getting Started
If you haven't worked out before, start slowly. Pick a time of day that works for you and take a brisk walk or do a workout video at home. Exercising with a partner can make the activity more fun and help hold you accountable, Family Doctor suggests. Slowly increase the duration and intensity of your workouts, working up to 30- to 60-minute sessions four or five times a week. If you get bored or can't stick with it, try something new, like yoga, a dance class or rock climbing, to keep things interesting.
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