Health Fitness Text Page 3

Start slow and easy
If you're a seasoned walker, keep doing what you're doing. If you've been inactive and tire easily, it's best to start slow and easy. At first, walk only as far as or as fast as you comfortably can. If you can walk for only a few minutes, let that be your starting point. For example, you might try short daily sessions of three to five minutes and slowly build up to 15 minutes twice a week. Then, over several weeks' time, you can gradually work your way up to 30 minutes of walking five days each week.

Use proper technique to avoid injury and setbacks
Walking is a great exercise because it's so simple to do. But if your posture is poor or your movements exaggerated, you increase your risk of injury.

Measure the intensity of your workout
As you walk, measure the intensity of your workout. Knowing your level allows you to increase the intensity to maximize your workout or slow down to avoid overdoing it. You have these options:

Talk test. If you're so out of breath that you can't carry on a conversation with the person you're walking with, you're probably working too hard and should slow down.
Borg scale. This method is a self-assessment of your perceived exertion. You rate how hard you think you're working on a scale that ranges from six (no exertion) to 20 (maximal effort). Aim for at least moderate intensity (12 to 14) as you walk.
Calculate your heart rate (pulse). To find out if you're exercising within the range of your target heart rate, stop exercising to check your pulse manually at your wrist (radial artery) or neck (carotid artery). Another option is to wear an electronic device that displays your heart rate.

Keep track of your progress
Keeping a record of how many steps you take, the distance you walk and how long it takes can help you see where you started from and serve as a source of inspiration. Just think how good you'll feel when you see how many miles you've walked each week, month or year.
Record these numbers in a special walking journal you create for yourself or log them in a spreadsheet on your computer. Another option is to use an electronic device to calculate time and distance for you. Options include:

Pedometers. These devices, which you usually attach to your belt or waistband, detect body motion and count your footsteps, displaying the number of steps on a small screen.

Although many pedometers have extra features, such as displaying calories burned and the distance walked or run, you may want to begin by using its primary feature — counting steps.
High-tech devices. These devices cost more than pedometers do, but they can track the total and current distance you walk, and even calculate your speed or pace. You must program these devices. Some allow you to download stored data to your computer as a way of keeping track of your progress. You wear these high-tech devices on your wrist or attached to your waistband, shoe or armband wristwatch.

Cool down after each walking session
To reduce stress on your heart and muscles, end each walking session by walking slowly for about five minutes. Then, repeat your stretches. Stay motivated: Set goals, have fun and stay in the game Starting a walking program takes initiative. Sticking with it takes commitment. But when you think of the potential health benefits, it's well worth your effort. Over time you'll likely feel more invigorated. To stay motivated:

Set performance goals. People who can stick with a new behavior for six months usually make it a habit.
Make it fun. If you don't like walking alone, invite your spouse, partner, friend or neighbor to join you. You might also join a health club and use a treadmill.
Vary your routine. Plan several different walking routes for variety. But if you're walking alone, be sure to tell someone which route you're taking.

Sometimes things happen to keep you from sticking to a regular walking program. Unfortunately, many people are too hard on themselves when this occurs. They might miss a few days and give up.
You don't have to let a few days off sabotage your plan to reach a higher level of fitness and improved health. Follow these tips to get back in the game:

Think positively. Don't let negative self-talk, such as "I'm a failure," get in the way of starting again. Shrug it off as a temporary break in your walking program.
Re-evaluate your goals. If your goal is to walk two hours a day 365 days a year, you might be setting yourself up to fail. Set realistic goals for yourself, such as 30 minutes five days a week.
Get going. Build walking into your schedule today. Just do it. Walk for 10 minutes on your lunch break.
Continually plan. If you're taking a trip or working overtime, think of strategies for incorporating short walks into your day to keep your plan on track.

Aerobic exercise: What 30 minutes a day can do for your body Aerobic exercise strengthens your heart and lungs and improves blood flow. Health benefits are numerous, including disease prevention and management. Is 30 minutes a day of aerobic exercise the magic bullet you've been looking for? With benefits ranging from heart disease prevention to stress reduction, it's one of the best things you can do for your health. Aerobic exercise — a type of movement such as walking or bicycling that gets your heart pumping and increases your oxygen intake — can help you live longer and healthier and can help you prevent and manage chronic health conditions. Take a look at the many benefits associated with aerobic exercise. Get motivated to reap the rewards. How your body responds to aerobic exercise During aerobic exercise, you repeatedly move large muscles in your arms, legs and hips. Aerobic fitness, also called cardiovascular fitness, refers to the ability of your heart, blood vessels and lungs (cardiovascular system) to supply fuel during sustained physical activity.
When you're aerobically fit, your body more efficiently takes in and uses oxygen to sustain movement more efficiently. To sustain repetitive muscle movement, your body:

Takes in more oxygen. You breathe faster and more deeply to maximize the amount of oxygen in your blood stream.
Pumps blood faster and more forcefully. To produce energy and deliver oxygen more effectively to the rest of your body, your heart beats faster. The force of each beat of your heart increases to maximize blood flow to your muscles and back to your lungs.
Increases the diameter and number of small blood vessels. To get more oxygen to your muscles, small blood vessels (capillaries) dilate and carry away waste products, such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Over time, more capillaries will actually develop in the muscle to provide for more efficient oxygen delivery and waste removal.
Avoids overheating. Your body warms up when you repeatedly move your muscles. To compensate for the rise in temperature, your body releases heat into the air as you breathe out. You also lose heat, water and minerals as you sweat.
Releases endorphins. Regular aerobic exercise releases endorphins, your body's natural painkillers.

Your body is a complex machine that will get stronger and more efficient as it adapts to a regular program of aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise helps you live longer, live healthier Taking part in regularly scheduled aerobic exercise can help you prevent certain diseases and manage others. It can also help you feel better. Prevent certain diseases and conditions Aerobic exercise can help:

Reduce your risk of coronary artery disease. Heart disease is one of the top causes of death for men and women in the United States. If you've had a heart attack, achieving a higher level of aerobic fitness can help prevent a second attack.
Reduce your risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure). If you have high blood pressure, aerobic exercise can help lower it.
Improve blood fats. Exercise increases the concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) and decreases the concentration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) in your blood.
Reduce your risk of stroke. Improving blood fats results in less build-up of plaques in your arteries. Deposits of plaques in blood vessels leading to your brain can result in a stroke.
Reduce your risk of developing some cancers, including breast, colon, prostate and endometrial cancer.
Reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Aerobic exercise helps you control your weight, reducing the likelihood of your being overweight or obese, conditions that can lead to type 2 diabetes.
Ward off viral illnesses. Aerobic exercise helps activate your immune system and prepare it to fight off infection. People who exercise regularly are less susceptible to minor viral illnesses, such as colds and flu.

Manage diseases and conditions
Aerobic exercise can help:

Lower your blood sugar levels if you have diabetes. Keeping your blood sugar within target range can help you avoid long-term complications of diabetes, such as kidney failure or heart disease.
Manage your weight. Combined with a healthy diet and appropriate strength training, aerobic exercise can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
Strengthen your heart muscle. A stronger heart can pump more blood for every heartbeat, which means your heart doesn't need to beat as fast during rest or exercise.
Improve blood flow to all parts of your body. A stronger heart muscle pumps blood more efficiently.
Relieve chronic muscle pain and fibromyalgia. Aerobic exercise stimulates the growth of tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in your muscles. This helps your body deliver oxygen to your muscles more efficiently and remove irritating metabolic waste products, such as lactic acid.
Boost your mood. Aerobic exercise can ease the gloominess of depression and the tension associated with anxiety.
Build strong bones. Weight-bearing aerobic exercise, such as walking, can reduce your risk of osteoporosis and its complications. Low-impact aerobic exercises — such as swimming, cycling and pool exercises — can help keep you fit without putting excessive stress on your joints, making these exercises good choices if you have conditions such as arthritis.

Feel better and enjoy life more
Aerobic exercise can help:

Increase your stamina. Aerobic exercise may make you tired during and right after the activity. But over the long term it can increase your stamina and reduce fatigue.
Manage your stress. A session of aerobic exercise after a stressful workday can help you relax.
Improve your sexual performance. In 2003, scientists at Harvard School of Public Health found that men who ran at least three hours each week reported sexual functioning like that of men two to five years younger.

Stay active and independent as you get older
Aerobic exercise can help you:

Maintain your mobility. Maintaining a program of regular aerobic exercise keeps your muscles efficient and strong, which can help you stay steady on your feet as you get older. If you rely on a wheelchair, aerobic exercise that focuses on your arms, shoulders and upper body — rowing or cross-country skiing using a sit-ski, for example — can help your upper body stay strong while improving your cardiovascular health.
Stay independent. As you age, aerobic exercise can help your muscles stay strong, which will help you avoid falls and fractures.
Extend your lifespan. People who engage in cardiovascular exercise appear to live longer than those who don't.

Many ways to achieve aerobic fitness
Achieving a higher level of aerobic fitness can be fun because there are many activities from which to choose. Among the many options are:

Walking
Aerobic dance
Swimming
Bicycling
Cross-country skiing
Running
Jogging
Aquatic exercise
Dancing
Stair climbing
Elliptical training
Rowing

Walking is a popular form of aerobic exercise. It's simple and inexpensive. All you need is a pair of comfortable walking shoes that fit your feet. You can even benefit from time spent doing routine aerobic activities such as gardening or housework.