| Aerobic exercise doesn't necessary mean calisthenics. |
Exercise
for Better Health
Evelyn Smith
Masters in Library Science,
University of North Texas (2012)
Evelyn Smith
Masters in Library Science,
University of North Texas (2012)
Perform 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily.
30 minutes of daily exercise enough
to shed pounds. (2013). Fitness & Exercise. WebMD. Retrieved from
When over-weight males exercised
aerobically for just 30 minutes daily, this was enough to help them lose weight
and keep it off when one combines aerobic exercise with a low-fat diet (30
minutes, 2013, para. 3).
Beddington, Theresa. (2011, August 16). 15 minutes of exercise every day reduces risk
of death. Web MD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20110816/15-minutes-exercise-every-day-reduces-risk-death
A Lancet-published study, however, reveals that if the inactive only
increased their physical activity for 15 minutes a day, they decreased their
risk of death 14 percent and increased their life expectancy three years
(Beddington, 2011, para. 1).
Household
chores can also count as an aerobic workout.
D’Angelo, Sarah. (2013). How many
calories do you burn with these household chores. Fitness.
Retrieved from http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/tips/expert-advice/how-many-calories-do-you-burn-with-household-chores/
Not only does mopping, painting,
gardening, and cleaning gutters burn calories, but they also develops
particular muscle groups.
Fit “incidental” aerobic exercise into a daily routine.
Weight loss secret—incidental exercise.
(2012). Weightloss.com.au. Ultimate
Weight Loss. Retrieved from http://www.weightloss.com.au/exercise/exercise-articles/incidental-exercise.html
Convenience comes at a cost of
valuable energy and fat burning potential (Weight loss secret, 2012, para.
3-5), so this Australia Web site suggests fitting the following aerobic
exercise opportunities into a daily routine:
- Taking the stairs instead of an elevator
- Going for a 10-minute walk during lunch
- Getting off one bus stop early
- Walking the dog one extra time around the block
- Getting up to change TV channels
- Placing (and using) the stair stepper or treadmill in front of the TV
- Parking a little further away from building entrances.
(Weight loss secret, 2012, para.
11)
To lose weight, an individual needs
to perform 100 minutes of “huffy-puffy” or brisk aerobic exercise a week, but
he or she can split this exercise into 10, 20, or 30 minute segments (Weight
loss secret, 2012, para. 12).
Develop
a strength training routine.
Elderly strength training for
seniors. (2013). Elder Gym. Retrieved
from http://www.eldergym.com/elderly-strength.html
Strength training for older adults
(and everyone else) builds up bone and muscle, building up endurance and
counteracting the weakness that comes with aging (Elderly strength training,
2013, para. 1-3). Strength training
also helps fight osteoporosis, arthritis, and pulmonary disease while improving
balance. Strengthening the abdomen and
chest also fights obesity, back problems, and type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes
(Elderly strength training, 2013, para.10).
Strength-training comes in two
varieties: Isometric, tensing the muscles without actually moving, and
progressive resistance exercising, using free weights, exercise bands, and
cable machines (Elderly strength training, 2013, para.12). Participants should be able to compete two
sets of ten reps before increasing dumbbell weight (Elderly strength training,
2013, para. 13). The elderly strength
training Web site provides links for videos demonstrating strength training of
1) the trunk and back, 2) the upper body, and 3) the lower body (Elderly
strength training, para. 13-16).
Strength training: Get stronger,
leaner, healthier. (2013). Mayo Clinic.
Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/strength-training/HQ01710/NSECTIONGROUP=2
Muscle mass diminishes with age,
but strength training can help preserve and enhance it at any age. Strength training also helps the exerciser
meet five goals: Developing strong
bones, controlling weight, boosting stamina, managing chronic conditions, and
sharpening mental focus (Strength training, 2013, p. 1). Strength training uses 1) body weight, for
example, pushups, abdomen crunches, and leg squats, 2) resistance training or
bands, 3) free weights, and 4) exercise machines to build and tone muscles
(Strength training, 2013, p. 1).
The Mayo Clinic recommends that
exercisers choose a weight resistance level heavy enough to tire the muscles
after 12 repetitions, and it also suggests skipping a day between exercising
specific muscle groups to give time for them to recuperate (Strength training,
p . 2). Most exercisers find that
performing strength training 20 to 30 minutes a day for two to three days a
week is sufficient (Strength training, 2013, p. 2).
Strength training 101. (2013). Nerd
fitness. Retrieved from http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/equipment/4-benefits-of-using-hand-grips.htm
Strength training is one of the
most effective ways to burn fat and to build muscle, but in addition it can
halt and reverse sarcopenia, or the reduction of skeletal muscle (Strength
training 101, 2013, para. 7-8). Strength training also provides a greater level
of excess post exercise oxygen consumption than aerobic exercise (Strength
training 101, 2013, para. 10). Moreover,
it increases the resting metabolic rate (RMP) that increases metabolism
(Strength training 101, 2013, para. 11) while strength training increases bone
density, strengths the heart, reduces blood pressure and flow, halts muscle
loss, controls blood sugar, lowers cholesterol levels, and improves balance and
coordination (Strength training 101, 2013, para. 12). Additionally, strength training elevates
mood, increases cognitive function, prevents sleep apnea and insomnia, and
improves posture, thus preventing disease and degenerative conditions
associated with high cholesterol levels and blood pressure—obesity, diabetes,
and heart disease (Strength training 101, 2013, para. 13).
Strength training also helps manage
the quality of life for those diagnosed with arthritis, osteoporosis,
Parkinson’s, Down syndrome, Lymphedema, fibromyalgia, stroke, spinal cord
injury, cancer, and depression (Strength training 101, 2013, para. 14). It may even delay Alzheimer’s and dementia
(Strength training 101, 2013, para. 17).
It may slow weight loss, but it will help exercisers lose inches faster
than aerobic exercise alone will (Strength training 101, 2013, para.24).
Make
hand grip exercises part of a strength-training regime.
4 benefits of using hand grips.
(2013). Fit Day. Internet Brands. Retrieved from
Hand grip exercises develop forearm
muscles, hand endurance, increased hand strength while improving dexterity (4
benefits, 2013, para. 1-5).
Get
up and walk around every hour.
Klosowski, Thorin.
(2012, January 26). How sitting all day
is damaging your body and how you can counteract it. Lifehacker. Retrieved from http://lifehacker.com/5879536/how-sitting-all-day-is-damaging-your-body-and-how-you-can-counteract-it
To counteract the
adverse effects of sitting, Klosowski recommends,
Stand once an hour—if
necessary set an alarm. At this point,
the individual can march in place for 20 seconds, perform 20 seconds of aerobic
exercises, or take a break and walk around.
Get
at least thirty minutes of moderate exercise daily.
Meet daily exercise targets
by altering behavior; for instance, parking as far away as possible from the
entrance of a building or standing up to visit with co-workers.
(Klosowski, 2012, para.
9-36)
Park, Alice. (2012,
July 2). Get up! Sitting less can add
years to your life. Time. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/10/get-up-sitting-less-can-add-years-to-your-life
Sitting for more than
three hours a day can shorten life expectancy by two years while watching TV for more than two hours
daily can shorten life by 1.4 years (Park, 2012, para. 1), so to lessen the
effects of a sedentary life style, it is advisable to periodically get up and
walk around the office or house (Park, 2012, para. 2).
Walk
the dog, but don’t let your pet sleep on the bed.
Laino, Charlene. (2010,
June 8). Walk your dog to unleash better
health: Pet owners reap big health benefits from regular walks with dog, study
says. WebMD. Retrieved from http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/news/20100608/walk-your-dog-to-unleash-better-health
Study confirms that dog
owners who don’t walk their dogs are substantially more over or under weight
than those who do walk their dogs and thus had higher blood pressure and
cholesterol.
Schneider, Andrew.
(2011, January 20). Letting sleeping
dogs lie in your bed can kill you. AOL
News. Retrieved from http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/20/letting-sleeping-dogs-lie-in-your-bed-can-kill-you/
Pets like dogs and cats
can transmit illnesses and parasites to their owners, so vets recommend that
they don’t sleep with their owners.
Dance!
Knight, Madeline. (2013). 9 Health
benefits of dance. Everyday Health. Retrieved
from
Dancing boosts memory, reversing
the volume loss of the hippocampus, improves flexibility and eases joint pain,
reduces stress, diminishes depression, improves cardiovascular health and
breathing more than biking or walking on a treadmill does, helps dieters lose
weight, improves balance and posture, increases energy levels, and helps with
socialization skills (Knight, 2013, slides 2-11). 33)
Join a choir. Group singing
improves health!
Horning, Stacy. (2013, August
16). Singing changes your brain. Time.
Retrieved from
Group singing releases endorphin, a
hormone associated with pleasure, and oxytocin, a hormone that eases anxiety
and stress and boosts trusts (Horning, 2013, para. 3). The health benefit of joining a choir,
however, appears to be cumulative since evidence indicates that choir members
have lower levels of cortisol, which means that they have lower levels of
stress (Horning, 2013, para. 4).
Skip! Jump rope for five minutes daily.
Chew, Norma. (2011, February
26). Is skipping a good way to lose
weight? Livestrong. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/391827-is-skipping-a-good-way-to-lose-weight/
Jumping rope helps dieters loss
weigh, increases strength, strengthens bones, increases agility, and oxygenates
the blood, improving circulation.
Sugar, Jenny. (2012, April 7). Reasons to own a jump rope. Popsugar. Retrieved from
http://www.fitsugar.com/Health-Benefits-Jumping-Rope-2525505
Jumping rope is an inexpensive and
effective time saver, compared to running, can be done almost anywhere, fights
osteoporosis, and tones and shapes the legs and buttocks (Sugar, 2012, para.
2).
Swim!
Health benefits of water-based
exercise. (2013, March 6). Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/health_benefits_water_exercise.html
Two-and-a-half hours of aerobic
activity, including swimming, decreases the risk of chronic disease. Swimmers can also exercise for a longer
period of time than those participating in land-based physical activities (Health
benefits water-based, 2013, para. 1).
Water-based exercise improves the use of joints affected by rheumatoid
arthritis, and it decreases the pain that results from osteoarthritis (Health
benefits water-based, 2013, para. 2).
Additionally, swimming improves mood, lifts depression, and decreases
anxiety associated with fibromyalgia (Health benefits water-based, 2013, para.
3). It also helps maintain healthy bones
in post-menopausal women (Health benefits water-based, 2013, para. 4).
Work
in the garden.
Lawrence, Star. (2013). Get fit by
gardening. Fitness & Exercising.
WebMD. Retrieved from
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/get-fit-by-gardening
Gardening offers endurance,
flexibility, and strength exercise (Lawrence, 2013, p.1). To get the most aerobic and strength-building
benefits out of gardening, make it a structured routine, alternating light with
heavier activities, and stopping after 30 or 60 minutes of working outside
whether finished or not (Lawrence, 2013, p. 1).
Just like going to the gym, do some stretching first, and then
concentrate on deep breathing and exaggerated movements, and sometimes switch hands to perform tasks while
working (Lawrence, 2013, p. 1).
Gardening can also be viewed as a mental
and emotional therapeutic activity. For
example, research has shown a link between ADHA and not enough time spent
outdoors. Furthermore, nursing home,
hospital, and Alzheimer patients and the wheelchair bound can all benefit from
gardening (Lawrence, 2013, p. 1).
To reap the best results, Lawrence
recommends the following tips:
- Start with a small plot or a container garden;
- Know what will grow in a particular climate;
- Switch activities halfway through a gardening session;
- Take breaks periodically;
- Lift heavy items with care;
- Take an antihistamine if necessary;
- Prefer organic gardening over the use of poisons and chemical fertilizers;
- Investigate tools for arthritic or carpal tunnel syndrome gardeners;
- Ease muscle soreness by taking a relaxing hot bath or shower afterwards.
The articles reviewed and the links furnished on
this Web page represent the opinions of their authors, so they complement—not
substitute—for a physician’s advice.
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