Improve Your Fitness
Module 7 of The Holistic Wellness Program
Exercise improves cardiovascular and respiratory health, it decreases the risk of osteoporosis, it decreases triglycerides and increases HDL (good) cholesterol, it decreases blood sugar and enhances metabolic rate, it decreases the risk of stroke and heart attack, it decreases the risk of many forms of cancer, it decreases body fat and builds muscle mass, it boosts self confidence, improves sleep, decreases stress, and increases overall well-being.
1) Exercise roughly 30 minutes per day. Exercising for 30 minutes most days of the week will help you maintain your physical, mental, and emotional health.
a) The best form of exercise is one which you’ll be able to stick with! Choose a form of physical activity which you enjoy. Walking, gardening, dancing with the kids, and vigorous house work all count! Any activity which doesn’t involve lying, sitting, standing still, or eating can be exercise!
b) Sprinkle in physical activity throughout your day. Research shows that breaking up exercise into short segments throughout the day is roughly equal in benefit to one long exercise interval if the intensity is matched. A walk during your coffee and lunch breaks is a great way to be active.
c) Aim to reach 80% of your maximum heart rate; roughly the level at which you can talk but not sing.
d) High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise, far better than “steady state” exercise. The premise is simply that moderate intensity aerobic activity should be interchanged with high intensity intervals.
e) Resistance training is also important in maintaining muscle mass as we age. You can use your body’s own weight, resistance bands/ tubing, water, weights, or resistance equipment. Perform these exercises a few times a week. Start with a set of 12-15 repetitions and increase resistance as you improve.
f) Stretching has also been found to be a beneficial form of exercise. It increases flexibility and decreases the risk of injury when performed before and after exercise. It also has cardiovascular benefits.
2) Aim to get more physically active in general. Independent of formal “exercise”, being sedentary throughout the day is linked to increased risk of all-cause mortality. Research in this area suggests that mild physical activity breaks offer just as much benefit as more intense activity in terms of decreasing the risk. Schedule short activity breaks every hour or so (take a walk to the water cooler, go talk with a colleague instead of sending an email, or take the stairs to a restroom on another floor).
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