There are few things in life that bring about the level of physical and mental benefits that movement and exercise provides. Numerous studies have repeatedly confirmed that exercising regularly significantly lowers one’s risk of serious illness including heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Exercise is also a winner when it comes to mental health gains through boosting mood and improving anxiety. We know that people who exercise tend to live overall longer, healthier lives.
So, is exercise a magic panacea? I would take it a step further- exercise and movement is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle, and it’s absence appears to cause disease. We evolved to move and when this is missing from our lifestyle we invariably get ill.
So how exactly should we be moving to prevent illness and support health?
The CDC recommends adults get 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week along with 2 days of muscle strengthening activity. This means a mix of cardio and resistance training. Cardio is crucial to keep your heart, lungs and circulation healthy. Resistance training is indispensable for weight management, bone health, mood and sleep. Recent research has shown us that muscle appears to be the currency of health and that our healthspan is directly related to our skeletal muscle strength.
Here are some tips for an ideal exercise/movement plan for adults:
- Choose a moderate intensity exercise/movement that you can do 5 days a week for 30 minutes a day. Choices for this include walking, slow jogging, elliptical, biking, indoor cycling, rowing or swimming. Other activities that would fit this requirement are rock climbing, pickleball, tennis, basketball, martial arts, yoga or fitness classes.
- You don’t have to work at your max effort every day. Choose 1-2 days where you will push yourself, and keep things moderate the other days. This means that your heart rate comes up, but you could still carry on a conversation while doing the activity.
- Choose 2 days where you engage in strength training. This means resistance exercise- or where you are moving your bodies against weight or resistance. Resistance exercise includes free weights and dumbbells as well as weight machines.
- Find forms of exercise and times of day that work in your life. If you hate it, you will quit. Experiment until you find movement that makes you feel good at times that work for your life.
- Make exercise a habit. Plan movement at the same time each day. After a few months, exercise will become effortless.
- Start where you are. Everyone can incorporate movement into their lives. If your max is walking around the living room table 3 times, great! Start there and work up. Talk to your doctor or Dr. Gajer and staff if you need ideas for safe exercises to start with.
