Why exercise is important

If you have never exercised before, start with a minute period of light exercise. A brisk walk every day is a good first exercise. Slowly increase how hard you exercise and for how long. Talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program.

This is especially important if your doctor is already monitoring you for a health problem, such as heart disease or osteoarthritis. You should try to exercise even if you have a physical disability that limits movement. Your doctor can help you find other exercises to improve your overall health. A good goal is to exercise 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes each time. However, most people need to start gradually. Start by exercising 2 or 3 times a week for 20 minutes at a time.

Once you feel comfortable, slowly increase the amount of time and the number of days a week that you exercise. Even small amounts of exercise are better than none at all. Start with an activity you enjoy and can do comfortably. As you become used to exercising, try to exercise within your target heart rate zone so that you get the most benefit.

However, discuss with your doctor before beginning. This is especially true if you have certain health conditions or are taking some medications. To take your pulse, gently rest 2 fingers on the side of your neck, about halfway between your ear and your chin. Count the beats for 10 seconds. Multiply this number by 6 to get the number of beats per minute. For example, if you are sitting still and count 12 beats over 10 seconds, multiply 12 x 6 to get 72 beats per minute.

To figure out your target heart rate, subtract your age in years from This is your maximum heart rate. To calculate your target heart rate, multiply that number by 0. Then multiply this number by 0. Your target heart rate would be beats per minute. Keep a record of your workouts to track your progress.

Muscle-strengthening activities like lifting weights can help you increase or maintain your muscle mass and strength. This is important for older adults who experience reduced muscle mass and muscle strength with aging. Slowly increasing the amount of weight and number of repetitions you do as part of muscle strengthening activities will give you even more benefits, no matter your age.

A functional limitation is a loss of the ability to do everyday activities such as climbing stairs, grocery shopping, or playing with your grandchildren. How does this relate to physical activity? Improve physical function and decrease the risk of falls. For older adults, multicomponent physical activity is important to improve physical function and decrease the risk of falls or injury from a fall.

Multicomponent physical activity is physical activity that includes more than one type of physical activity, such as aerobic, muscle strengthening, and balance training. Multicomponent physical activity can be done at home or in a community setting as part of a structured program. Science shows that physical activity can reduce your risk of dying early from leading causes of death, like heart disease and some cancers.

This is remarkable in two ways:. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Physical Activity. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Benefits of Physical Activity.

Minus Related Pages. On This Page. Weight Management Looking to get to or stay at a healthy weight? Be Active: Every Bit Helps. Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome Regular physical activity can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Some Cancers Being physically active lowers your risk for developing several commonly occurring cancers. Research shows that adults who participate in greater amounts of physical activity have reduced risks of developing cancers of the: Bladder Breast Colon proximal and distal Endometrium Esophagus adenocarcinoma Kidney Lung Stomach cardia and non-cardia adenocarcinoma Improve your quality of life.

Strengthen Your Bones and Muscles. To receive email updates about this topic, enter your email address. Email Address. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, current guidelines suggest that to stay healthy, adults between 19 and 64 should try to be active daily and follow these recommendations:.

Cardiorespiratory exercise, often abbreviated to 'cardio', is any exercise that increases the heartbeat and breathing rate. Such exercises include walking, running, swimming, cycling, dancing and team sports such as football, hockey, basketball etc.

These recommendations can be achieved through minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five times a week or minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise three times a week or a combination of both types. One continuous session combined with multiple shorter sessions of at least 10 minutes is also acceptable.

For those starting out, gradual progression of exercise time, frequency and intensity is recommended. You are more likely to stay on track and avoid injury if you start gently. Even if you can't reach these minimum targets you can still benefit from some activity. Resistance exercise is concerned with working the bodies muscle groups and building strength.

Very light or light intensity resistance training is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults new to exercise. It is recommended that adults should wait at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions. There are a number of different ways to classify the intensity of any exercise, some based on heart rate, some on perceived exertion and some on how the exercise affects your metabolic rate. Moderate-intensity activity should raise your heart rate, make you breathe faster and make you feel warm enough to start to sweat.

Vigorous intensity exercise will make you breathe hard, increase your heart rate significantly and make you hot enough to sweat profusely. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggests that moderate-intensity activity allows you to talk but not to sing, whereas more vigorous activity results in an inability to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath. Overall though, any activity that gets you moving, gets your heart rate up and gives you enough pleasure to do it regularly and often is good for you in almost every way.

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