Taking Exercise to Heart

Enjoy an Active Lifestyle

The following basic guidelines may help you decide how much you should exercise and what types of exercise you should try:

• Try to get regular physical activity and try to be more active to reach the goals you set with your doctor
  • In general, get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week
• Include different kinds of exercise in your workout regimen
  • Stretching exercises for flexibility
  • Cardiovascular exercise for conditioning
  • Resistance exercises for muscle strength and endurance

Be sure to check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Types of Exercise

There are 3 basic types of exercise you may want to include in your exercise program.

• Stretching. Stretching legs before and after exercising helps prevent injury and muscle strain. Regular stretching also can help increase flexibility
• Cardiovascular exercise. This type of exercise strengthens the heart. Aerobic exercise has many great benefits for your heart
• Resistance exercise. Muscles are repeatedly tightened and relaxed. Resistance exercise may not be recommended for people with heart disease

Be sure to check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Safe Exercise Guidelines

Every time you exercise, give yourself the time to warm up, condition, and cool down to help prevent injury.

Here are the basics on the 3 phases of exercise:

• Warm up. Ease yourself into exercise by warming up first. A warm-up session should include stretching, range-of-motion activities, and low-impact activity. Warming up helps the body adjust from being at rest to exercising. It can reduce stress on the heart and muscles
• Condition. Following your warm-up, move into the conditioning phase. This is where you receive the most benefit from exercise and burn the most calories. During conditioning, it is important to monitor the intensity of your exercise by checking your heart rate now and again. Don't push yourself too hard
• Cool down. Remember to always set aside a few minutes after exercising to cool down. The best way to cool down is to slowly decrease the intensity of your activity. During this phase, your heart rate and blood pressure should return to where they are when you are at rest

Be sure to check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Everyday Fitness Ideas

You may be surprised at how many opportunities for exercise there are just in the things you do every day.

Here are some suggestions you can incorporate into your everyday life:

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Start with 1 flight of stairs. Soon you may be ready for 2 flights
• Park your car at the far end of the parking lot. You will benefit from the short walk to and from work, school, or the store
• If you ride a bus or subway, get off at the stop before your destination and walk the rest of the way
• Spend a few minutes on your lunch break taking a walk around the block. Walking may also help you stay awake after you eat
• Housework can offer opportunities for exercise. Try vacuuming briskly for a workout
• Yard work, such as mowing the lawn, pulling weeds, and raking the leaves, can be a nice way to fit in a little extra exercise
• If you have a dog, try taking a walk every evening. A brisk walk can be good for both of your hearts

Whatever activity you choose, talk to your doctor before you start, and make sure it's right for you.

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