Getting enough physical activity can help prevent or manage many health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and some cancers. It also can improve your mood, boost your energy and help you maintain a healthy weight. It can even help you feel more confident and able to enjoy life.
You don’t have to train at a gym or run mile after monotonous mile to get the benefits of exercise. Just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days is enough to keep you healthy. That can be broken up into two 15-minute sessions or three 10-minute sessions if that’s easier.
Aerobic exercise — also called cardiovascular or cardiopulmonary exercises — can be any movement that increases your heart rate and makes you breathe harder. Examples include walking, swimming, dancing and cycling. It’s important to do aerobic exercise regularly because it can lower your risk for heart disease, improve your mood, reduce inflammation and strengthen your muscles.
Strength-training, or resistance exercise, should be done at least two to three times per week. This helps you build or maintain muscle mass and improve your balance. It can also help you move better and may protect against arthritis, osteoporosis, bone fractures and low back pain. Examples of strength-training activities include squats, push-ups and using weight machines. Isotonic exercise, which involves holding your body in a position for an extended period of time, such as planks and bicep curls, is also good for you.
The best way to start a fitness routine is to choose an activity you enjoy. If you’re not enjoying your workout, it will be difficult to stick with it. Choose something that is fun and challenging. You might like playing a sport, a dance class or taking an active hobby such as gardening.
You can also get physical activity by joining an exercise group or walking with a friend. Or you could try a new activity such as kayaking or hiking.
In addition to strengthening your heart and muscles, exercise helps you stay flexible. Stretching and yoga are examples of flexibility exercises.
People who are physically active tend to live longer. Whether it’s walking, jogging or jumping rope, regular exercise can cut your risk of death by up to 35% compared with people who aren’t very active.
Getting enough physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, which means eating well and not smoking. It can also help you cope with stress, depression and anxiety. And it can even help you sleep better. But the word “health” doesn’t mean the same thing as the word “fitness.” You can be very fit but not very healthy, or you can be healthy and not very fit. The key is to work on both, and find the right balance for you. The good news is, it’s never too late to start. Hälsa och träning