Bicycling and walking are two of the best exercises for your health and fitness, according to exercise expert Dr. Kenneth Cooper. Beginners, though, need to take precautions before embarking on an exercise program. Cooper devised several programs for younger and older adults and also has recommendations about medical examinations, pre-exercise warm-ups and post-exercise cool downs.
Benefits
Improving your fitness can dramatically increase your chances of living longer. The most sedentary adults are more than twice as likely to die within the next 8 years as adults of the same age who walk 30 minutes daily, according to "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease." Exercises that strengthen your heart muscles, such as bicycling and walking, can be done every day. However, exercises such as weightlifting, push-ups and sit-ups that strengthen skeletal muscles should not be done daily because these muscles "start to break down when exercised intensely more often than every other day," according to The Merck Manual of Medical Information.
Walking
Cooper, the founder of the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, devised several cycling/walking programs for beginners. Adults younger than 50 should walk 2 miles in 36 minutes three times weekly during the program's first week, 2 miles in 32 minutes four times weekly by the third week and 3 miles in 46 minutes five times weekly by the eighth week. Older people should walk 1 mile in 20 minutes four times weekly during their program's first week, 2 miles in 40 minutes four times weekly by the third week and 3 miles in 47 minutes four times weekly by the 10th week.
Cycling
Cooper's cycling and walking programs are for people who want to bicycle outdoors or indoors, although his outdoor cycling program is only for people below age 50. Beginning outdoor cyclists should bicycle 4 miles in 20 minutes three times weekly during the program's first week. They should be bicycling 5 miles in 24 minutes four times weekly by the program's third week and 6 miles in 26 minutes five times weekly by the sixth week.
Younger stationary cyclists should bicycle for 6 minutes three times weekly in the program's first week, for 12 minutes four times weekly by the fourth week and for 18 minutes five times weekly by the seventh week. Stationary cyclists who are older than 50 should cycle for 4 minutes three times weekly in the program's first week, for 6 minutes four times weekly by the fourth week and for 16 minutes five times weekly by the 10th week.
Warnings
Cooper recommends getting a thorough medical exam before beginning an exercise program if you are more than 40 years old or you have a health risk factor such as smoking, diabetes, hypertension or a family history of heart disease. He also recommends stretching for 3 to 5 minutes to reduce your injury risk before cycling or walking and recommends moving slowly for 5 minutes after cycling or walking because stopping abruptly jeopardizes adequate circulation of blood to your brain and heart.
References
- "The Aerobics Program for Total Well-being: Exercise, Diet, Emotional Balance"; Dr. Kenneth Cooper; 1983
- "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program For Reversing Heart Disease"; Dr. Dean Ornish; 1996
- The Merck Manual of Medical Information; 2003
- "Controlling Cholesterol The Natural Way"; Dr. Kenneth Cooper and William Proctor; 1999
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