Exercise for Life

Would you like to be healthier and live longer? There is a way you can:

cut your risk for heart disease, adult-onset diabetes, and several types of cancer
boost your energy level
sleep better and fight fatigue
reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression
tone your muscles
burn calories

The “miracle product” that provides all these payoffs? Regular exercise. Yet three out of five American adults do not get the recommended minimum amount of physical activity: 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days of the week. Inactivity increases with age and is more common among women than men. One in four Americans remain completely inactive.

Ready?

With preparation and a good dose of determination, you can get yourself ready, set, and going on the road to good health.

Do You Need a Physician's O.K.?

Most people do not need to consult a doctor before beginning a sensible exercise program. But do check with your physician beforehand if you:

have a heart condition
take blood pressure medication
have bone or joint problems
have felt any chest pain within the past month
experience pain or pressure in your chest, the left side of your neck, or your left shoulder or arm during or after exercise
have diabetes or another health condition that requires ongoing medical care.

Choosing Activities That Are Right for You

The key to sticking with an exercise program is to choose an activity you enjoy. You can promote good health—especially heart health—by doing any of these activities on a regular basis:

brisk walking
bicycling
cross-country skiing
jogging
jumping rope
rowing
running in place
stair-climbing
swimming

Games such as basketball, handball, racquetball, soccer, squash, singles tennis, and volleyball also qualify.

Exercises you perform on your feet are called weight-bearing exercises. Weight-bearing exercises such as walking, jogging and jumping rope offer protection against osteoporosis in addition to their other health benefits.

To select your activity or activities, consider first whether you prefer to exercise alone or with others. Making a pact with a partner or taking a class may motivate you to start—and help you continue—an exercise program.

Next, decide whether you want to exercise outside, enjoying the scenery and weather changes, or inside, sheltered from the elements. Some exercises, such as running in place and jumping rope, can be done indoors or out.

Cost need not hold you back. Brisk walking, for example, requires nothing more than a pair of comfortable walking shoes and some thick socks to prevent blisters.

You Can Find the Time!

Choose a time for exercising that fits comfortably into your regular schedule, or rearrange some other activities to make time for exercise.

If you can't carve out an uninterrupted half-hour for exercise, you still can accumulate 30 minutes of activity in short bursts. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park a few blocks from your destination, exit the bus a few blocks before your stop, or walk as part of your lunch break.

Exercising Good Sense

Get Set…

If you have been inactive for a long time, start slowly and only gradually increase the length of your workouts. If you choose brisk walking as your exercise, you might begin with 15-minute sessions, then add two or three minutes to those sessions each week.

To avoid injury, always start slowly, or warm up, for five minutes before strenuous exercise, then cool down or move more slowly for five minutes afterward. A 15-minute walking session, for example, should include five minutes at a moderate pace, five minutes at a brisk pace and five more minutes at a moderate pace. A 30-minute session should include the five-minute warm-up and cool-down periods plus 20 minutes at a brisk pace.

If you exercise outside, be smart about weather, light, and traffic conditions:

In warm weather, it's especially important to drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise.
When it's cold outside, wear one less layer than you would if you were not exercising. Don't forget your hat.
In the rain or snow, be aware of reduced visibility and traction.
Wear light colors or a reflecting vest in the dark.
Face oncoming traffic when you walk, but bicycle with the traffic.

Targeting Heart-Healthy Exercise

Go!

To maximize the benefits to your heart and lungs, the American Heart Association recommends exercising at your target heart rate. At this rate, your heart works most efficiently to pump blood. Your target rate equals about 50 to 75 percent of your heart's maximum rate, which you can calculate by subtracting your age from 220.

Some heart medications—beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers, for example—lower the maximum heart rate. If you take such medication, ask your doctor what your own target heart rate should be.

In the first few months of your exercise program, aim for the lower end of your target zone. You can increase the benefits of your activity by gradually building up toward the higher end.

To determine whether you have reached your target zone, check your pulse immediately after you stop exercising. Place the tips of your first two fingers on the inside of your opposite wrist, just below the base of your thumb, or on your neck to one side of your Adam's apple. Count your pulse for 15 seconds, then multiply by four. This is your exercising heart rate. Compare it with your target rate on the chart.

While your target heart rate is an important indicator of how you are doing, remember not to make your body work too hard. When jogging or walking, for example, you should be able to have a conversation without becoming breathless.

After six months of regular exercise, you can try working toward 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. But you do not have to exercise at this level to stay in good condition.

If you are looking for additional ways to increase the benefits of your exercise, you can increase duration or frequency. Walk for an hour instead of a half-hour, or exercise every day instead of four times a week.

Keeping a Good Thing Going

Changing sedentary habits can be difficult. If your enthusiasm for exercise starts to wane, try these strategies:

Fight discouragement by focusing on short-term goals that can be attained more easily.
Ask for support. The encouragement of your friends and family should help you keep going.
Make sure you still enjoy what you are doing. If not, try varying your route, inviting a friend or family member to join you, or switching to a different form of exercise.
Pick up a magazine devoted to your favorite activity to get some new tips.
Treat yourself to a new pair of walking shorts or a swimsuit.
Jot down what you do each day to keep a record of your progress. When you look back at where you began, take pride in your accomplishment.
If you need to miss several days of exercise because of illness or injury, wait until you feel better before resuming, making sure to follow any instructions from your doctor. You may need to start at a lower level, but don't be concerned, soon you'll be enjoying your previous level of activity and all its benefits.