Excercise Basics

Exercise improves your confidence, raises your self esteem and can even improve your sex life. Physically active people have a much lower risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and many types of cancer. When we talk about exercise, we nearly always refer to physical exercise. Exercise is the physical exertion of the body. Exercise means requiring your body do a physical activity. Regular exercise results in a healthy or healthier level of physical fitness and both physical and mental health. People exercise for many different reasons, but when we exercise our a goal is to enhance or maintain our physical fitness and general health. Make sure your progress is gradual. It's important to drink plenty of water during and after your exercise program. Don't forget to check with your doctor before starting any new exercise routine.

Experts say that for a physically inactive person to become active, and remain active for the long-term, the activity needs to be convenient and enjoyable. The activity needs to be something you can easily fit into your routine for several days each week. Even if you end up adding just 30 minutes of physical activity to your day, you can have positive results from exercising. For long-term success the activity has to be something you enjoy. You may have to try a few different ideas until you come up with the exercise program that fits you best. Some people do better joining a gym with a friend, while others feel more comfortable walking in their own neighborhood. You should give some of the new video games a try. Programs like the WII Fit were created as a fun way to lose weight and get exercise in the comfort of your home. After a few weeks your exercise routine starts to become a habit. Even if you find it a bit of a chore at first, remember that after a few weeks it will really become a habit. The biggest and most difficult step is to just start, after that just concentrate on creating a daily routine and before you know it your exercise program will be a natural part of your day.

Increase your daily exercise by adding some small steps to your everyday routine. These few extra steps can add up. You may enjoy wearing a pedometer that tells you how many steps you have taken each day. You can start slower and work your way up to 10,000 steps a day. Try parking further away every time you go some where and enjoy the walk. Use the stairs instead of the elevator when you can, especially if you are only going up one or two flights. This may even save you some time. If you ride a bus or other public transportation, try getting off a stop earlier and walking the last part of your journey. Instead of spending your lunch and coffee breaks behind your desk, try taking a quick walk around the building. The brisk walk will bring more oxygen to your brain and you will fill refreshed and regenerated. 

There are three types of exercise: Flexibility Exercises, Strength Training, and Aerobic Exercises. The best exercise programs offer a combination of each of these types of training.

Aerobic Exercises improve stamina and your circulatory system. A successful exercise program involves frequent physical activity that is rhythmic, repetitive, challenges the circulatory system, and uses large muscles. The exercise program must significantly increase the blood flow to the muscles for an extended period of time, promoting cardiovascular fitness. Such exercises are called isotonic, dynamic, or aerobic. If you want to have a healthy heart, you need to perform aerobic exercise.

Flexibility exercises are an important component of a well-rounded fitness program. Most individuals tend to become tight and stiff with age. It is important to maintain normal flexibility for several reasons. Good flexibility reduces the probability that you will suffer from back pain and other postural types of pain syndromes. Normal flexibility also allows you to attain normal movement patterns in all activities and requires you to expend less energy as you go through your daily activities. 

Strength training increases your muscle tone and size. Many people don't realize the numerous benefits of a sound strength training program including increased muscle, tendon, bone, and ligament strength; increased physical performance and appearance; improved metabolic efficiency; and decreased risk of injury.