What Exercises Are Best to Keep You Healthy?

There are a number of exercises recommended to help get and keep you healthy.

The best exercises are the exercises you enjoy and are willing to stick to.

Having said that, as a man or woman ages, their choice of exercises might also change.However, some exercises are suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels.

If you can stand up, and move your arms, there is a healthy exercise for everyone.

Suggested Exercise Levels

The current recommendation is 30 minutes of exercise every day, as well as two strength-training sessions of 30 minutes each per week, at least a day apart to allow the muscles to heal.

The 30-minute sessions should be aerobic; that is, able to raise the heart rate.

Good examples of aerobic exercise include walking, race walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, and of course aerobics or calisthenics.

Most of these are suitable for people of all ages because they are low impact, with the exception of jogging and very vigorous aerobics or calisthenics that might jar the joints.

One suggestion for getting in 30 minutes of aerobics per day is a walking program of 10,000 steps per day.

Depending on how tall you are and the length of your stride, 10,000 steps can equal anywhere between 3.5 and 5 miles.

The good news is that you can accumulate these steps throughout the course of your day, rather than do long and intensive workout sessions.

For example, you can walk up and down the stairs instead of taking the elevator or escalator, get off the bus one or two stops earlier or later and walk the rest of the way home or to the office, park your car further away from the stores to force yourself to walk more, and so on.

You don’t need any special equipment to walk other than a good pair of shoes. You can walk pretty much anywhere that good lighting, has a good firm surface and is in a safe neighborhood.

 

How do you know you are walking fast enough to get your heart pumping?

If you are breathless when you speak, but not so out of breath that you can’t talk, then your heart rate is up and you are getting the full benefit of your workout.

Strength Training

There are a range of options for strength training depending on your personal interests and the facilities you have available.

The most obvious form of strength training would be weightlifting.

 

 

 

However, not everyone wants to pump iron in a gym and get big bulky muscles.

This is the most common stereotype in relation to strength training. The good news is that this is a myth. Small sets of hand weights can be just as effective as gym equipment if you use them regularly.

 

Another effective option which is fun and inexpensive is a resistance band.

Resistance bands can be used in a range of great ways to tone arms and legs. They are also very lightweight and therefore easily portable.

Starting slowly and adding on bands means you can avoid injury and gradually increase your strength over time just by adding another band.

 

Yoga

Some people think of it as something weird and new age, but yoga has been around for more than five thousand years.

It builds strength and also increases flexibility, balance and stability. This is great for older people, so they can avoid tripping, falling, and becoming immobile as a result of injury and age.

There are many different styles of yoga.

Kundalini is perfect for men because there are no levels and it can improve your strength very quickly.

 

Persistence is the key…

The best exercises are ones you will enjoy doing each day, so mix it up from time to time and it won’t be long before you are seeing that fitter new you in the mirror.