You walk your dog each day and feel you're getting enough exercise. But to stay strong and active, you need regular strength and cardio workouts. Strength training can enhance your muscle mass, protect your bones and improve your stamina. Cardiovascular exercise can boost your endurance, heart, lungs and mood. You can try several types of strength and cardio workouts, depending on your taste and budget.
Body Resistance
One of the least expensive options for strength training is to use your body weight for resistance. You can perform exercises three or four days a week to cover different muscle groups -- for instance, push-ups for upper-body strength; squats for your knees, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves; and crunches for your abs and other core muscles. About 12 repetitions are sufficient for most body-weight exercises, and you can do a half-hour workout all at once or split up the exercises during the day.
Free Weights
You can buy free weights for strength training, or use inexpensive substitutes such as water bottles. Exercises with free weights include the chest press to strengthen your pectoral muscles, and the biceps curl for your biceps and elbow flexors. The Mayo Clinic's website suggests two or three weight-training sessions of 20 to 30 minutes per week. During each session, switch off between working your lower body with exercises such as leg lifts with ankle weights, and working your upper body with curls and arm raises using hand weights. Do 12 repetitions of each exercise.
Exercise Machines
Gyms usually have a variety of exercise machines that range from a chest press to a shoulder press, a triceps extension to a biceps curl. You should do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least twice a week, according to Harvard Health Publications. You don't have to spend hours at the gym, though -- 30 minutes is usually fine. The Mayo Clinic's website reports it's as effective to do one set of 12 repetitions per machine as it is to do two or three sets. To avoid burnout, try different kinds of machines, or switch from free weights to machines and back.
Moderate Cardio Workout
Moderate aerobic activity gets you going hard enough to raise your heart rate and start sweating, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you stick to a moderate cardio workout, you should do it for at least 150 minutes per week. Moderate activities include walking fast, riding a bike on a level surface and playing tennis with a doubles partner.
Vigorous Cardio Workout
Vigorous aerobic activity gets your heart rate up more and has you breathing harder. You know you're at this level when you can't say more than a few words at a time, according to the CDC. A vigorous cardio workout may consist of jogging, bike riding on hills, swimming laps in a pool or playing basketball or singles tennis. If you go for a vigorous regimen, you need about 75 minutes a week.
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