Fitness Tips

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Tips	Rationale		Practical Application
1. Daily Activity If you have any concerns, check with your doctor before you start any exercise programme.	Statistics show that only 1 out of every 5 Britons do enough exercise to maintain and improve their health? To remain healthy, it is recommended that individuals do 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days a week. Moderate exercise means that you put in enough effort to result in you a) getting warm b) perspiring slightly and c) becoming mildly out of breath. Moderate exercise includes brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, dancing, strenuous housework and gardening. Benefits of Physical Activity: Enhanced cardiovascular health. Decreased risk of cancer. Decreased risk of heart disease and stroke. Decreased risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Enhances bone growth and calcium retention. Assists mental wellbeing. Assists weight management. Assists sleep duration/quality. Assists stress management. Lower medical costs. Supports a good self image. Enhanced strength and endurance. Decreases overall risk of dying and increases longevity. Risks of being Inactive: Greater risk for heart disease and stroke. Greater risk for cancer. Increased risk of developing non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Decreased strength and endurance.		Where feasible: - Walk or cycle to work. - Walk the school route. - Take the stairs instead of the lift. If you travel by public transport, walk rather the ride the last stop or two). Aim to walk 5 times a week (30 mins at a moderate / brisk pace).
2. Keys to Exercise Success	The keys to exercise success are: i) Attainability: Set realistic goals for yourself. Begin gradually and build up both the length and level of activity. Start with one or two 15 - 30 minute sessions a week, depending on what you can comfortable achieve. ii) Desire: Finding an exercise that you enjoy doing will help motivate you to continue. There is a vast choice e.g. bowls, cricket, football, gym, tennis, swimming, dancing, gardening or energetic DIY. iii) Variety: Vary your activities so that all your muscles get exercised, This will also reduce the risk of injury and also to stop you becoming bored. iv) Regularity: Many people say that they do not exercise because the do not have the time. However we all now that we find time for the things that we enjoy, so it a matter of priorities. Also, if you focus on the benefits of exercise, you will prioritise it in your life accordingly. v) Reward: Reward yourself whenever you achieve your goal.		Try different types of activity. Choose something you enjoy. Do some simple stretches before and after any activity. Build up activity levels gradually. Be realistic about what you can achieve. To progress even further, be a bit more vigorous, or continue for longer. Have plenty of drinks (non-alcoholic!) to prevent dehydration. Remember your target: 5 x 30 minutes per week.
3. Include the different exercise Categories	The exercise categories are:- i) Aerobic Fitness/Endurance Aerobic fitness (Aerobic fitness (also called cardiovascular fitness) is the ability of your body to sustain an increased level of activity while supplying adequate nutrition and oxygen to the muscles and body organs. It is this aspect of physical activity that is thought to provide most of the major health benefits of exercise. In general, an aerobic fitness program involves activity that is capable of elevating your heart rate above a certain point (based on age, ability, and fitness goal) and sustaining that activity for 15 minutes or more per session. *ii) Flexibility* Aging and sedentary habits tend to reduce the range of motion of our joints. Over time, this loss can effect our ability to engage in daily activities such as bending and reaching. iii) Muscular Strength Age and lack of exercise also work together to rob us of our strength and muscle mass. Slowly and imperceptibly even strong men may find themselves too weak for many ordinary tasks by the last decades of life. While there is some increase in strength associated with increasing your level of aerobic fitness, it is still necessary to take part in strength building activities at least three times per week. In general, building muscle requires physical resistance or weight bearing.		i) Aerobic Fitness/Endurance Regular sessions of:- - walking - swimming - running - bicycling - strenuous housework - strenuous gardening - dancing *ii) Flexibility* A regular program of stretching for: - head and neck - shoulders - chest - upper back - thighs - quadriceps - hips Your doctor / a health professional will be able to provide information on the techniques to use. iii) Muscular Strength You should choose different exercises to work the major muscle groups (i.e. legs, arms, abdomen, upper body). Activities that build strength include: - sit-ups - push-ups - pull-ups - leg-lifts - working with free weights (barbells dumbbells, etc) - weight machines
4. Try to maintain your target heart rate during exercise	If you exercise too hard, you're likely to injure yourself, conversely, if you're not working hard enough, you may not get the results you desire. Target Heart Rate		Find out what your Target Heart Rate is and then exercise within the stated range.
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