EXERCISE

Exercise is essential for the well being of our bodies! By incorporating an exercise plan into your life you will begin to feel the benefits such as an increase in energy levels, stamina and overall well-being.

A total physical fitness plan includes two types of exercise - aerobics (which exercise large muscle groups and increase your body's ability to use oxygen) and conditioning exercises (which improve muscle flexibility and strength).

Aerobics: The Core of Your Program
Your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body. And, since the heart itself is a muscle, it needs exercise to maintain strength and endurance. Aerobics exercise your heart by helping it reach and maintain a Target Heart Range (THR) for at least 20-30 minutes. Your THR is the safest range of heartbeats per minute during exercise. Activities such as swimming, walking, jogging, running, and handball are all aerobic.

Conditioning Exercise: for Flexible, Strong Muscles
Conditioning exercises improve flexibility and muscle strength. Muscles help you move, and also support all the bones in your body. Stiff, weak muscles can limit movement, fail to support the rest of your body, and may make it hard to maintain a vigorous activity long enough to reach your THR. Stretching exercises improve flexibility, while "resistance exercises" (such as push-ups) build muscle strength.

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A Healthy Lifestyle Rounding Out your Plan
Fitness also includes weight control, proper nutrition and stress reduction. Becoming fit is saying 'yes' to life and 'no' to unhealthy habits such as smoking, alcohol and drug misuse. A total fitness plan can improve both the quality and the quantity of the years ahead of you.

Starting your Plan
As you begin your fitness plan, pace yourself. Know your correct THR and try not to exceed it. Choose activities you enjoy as your core aerobic exercises, and do a variety of conditioning exercises to improve flexibility and muscle strength. Finally, make healthy lifestyle choices to help yourself become healthy and fit.

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AEROBICS: THE CORE OF YOUR PROGRAM

Over 20 years of research has shown that aerobic exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health and well-being. Aerobics condition your heart and lungs, help you use oxygen more efficiently and help control weight and reduce stress. The term, Aerobic, refers to any exercise that helps you use oxygen more efficiently by reaching and maintaining your Target Heart Range (THR) -the safest range of heartbeats per minute during exercise. Aerobics should be done for a minimum of 20-30 minutes, 3 times a week.

AEROBICS AND YOUR HEART

Oxygen is vital to life, and your heart is the muscle that pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body. Aerobic exercise increases lung capacity (allowing them to take in more oxygen) and strengthens the heart muscle (allowing it to pump oxygen more efficiently). Aerobics can also increase your body's level of HDL, a substance that carries heart-damaging cholesterol out of the blood stream. Aerobics also lower blood pressure. Many people who suffer from high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart disease, can help control their blood pressure through a regular program of aerobics.

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AEROBICS AND WEIGHT CONTROL

We gain weight because we take in more calories than we burn off. It's best to combine diet and exercise to lose weight and keep it off. Aerobics are particularly helpful for weight control. Walking can burn up to 210 calories per hour, while a more vigorous activity, like football or running, can burn up to 600 calories per hour.

AEROBICS AND STRESS REDUCTION

Following a regular aerobics program gives you a sense of commitment and control - two positive mental attitudes that help counteract stress. Aerobics also relax tense muscles, thereby completing (and relieving) your body's stress response. Finally, medical research has shown that regular aerobic activity increases the body's production of endorphins (a natural sedative) and catecholamines (chemical substances that help stabilize moods).

AEROBICS AND YOU

Whether you're in perfect shape, or not, aerobic exercise can help improve the quality of your life. Why wait? Start today and enjoy the benefits.

BENEFITS OF AEROBIC EXERCISE

Decreased body fat levels Normalizing effect on blood pressure Decreased total cholesterol Decreased depression/anxiety Helps manage stress Improved success of smoking cessation programmes Improves use of blood sugar, helping to Control/Prevent diabetes or glucose intolerance

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CONDITIONING EXERCISE: FOR FLEXIBLE, STRONG MUSCLES

Physical conditioning enhances your aerobics program by helping muscles remain flexible and strong. Stretching keeps your muscles flexible, while resistance exercises build strength. Both types of exercise are needed to keep your muscles in top physical condition.

WHAT MUSCLES DO

Muscles help us stand, sit, recline, bend, stretch, twist...in short, muscles make us move. Muscles also support our entire skeletal system. To help us move freely and to support our bodies, muscles must be flexible and strong. Stiff, weak muscles can limit movement and lead to poor posture, back and joint pain, and increased risk of injury.

STRETCHING FOR FLEXIBILITY

Exercises such as touching your toes, where you gradually extend and release a muscle, are called stretching exercises. To understand how stretches work, think of a muscle as a rubber band. A too-tight rubber band is likely to snap or break when you extend it unless you gradually stretch and release it to make it more supple. A too-tight muscle can "pull" if it is not stretched regularly to keep it flexible. Stretching before vigorous exercise can help prevent muscle soreness.

RESISTANCE FOR STRENGTH

Exercises such as push-ups, where your muscles work against a resisting force, are called resistance exercises. The force you work against can be your own body weight (as in push-ups) or an external force (as in weightlifting). The idea is to gradually increase the load a muscle can bear so that muscles become larger, stronger, and work more efficiently. Strong, efficient muscles support our bodies better and use oxygen more effectively, thereby placing less strain on our hearts. Increasing the amount of weight you resist builds strength, whilst increasing the amount of times you do each exercise (repetitions) improves endurance.

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MUSCULAR AND SKELETAL FITNESS

The human body is a complex combination of a muscular and skeletal system - a delicately balanced structure, which can affect the way we feel in our daily lives. Our modern day lifestyle, which has encouraged many people to become physically inactive, has affected the human form in many ways. Some of the consequences of our inactive lifestyle may include low back pain, arthritis and osteoporosis.

Our daily posture, both active - standing, walking and lifting, and passive - sitting, lying and driving can either impair or enhance the form and function of the body. Therefore an awareness of posture throughout our daily routine is an important factor in reducing any unnecessary stress on the human body.

Regular periods of activity are essential in maintaining optimal muscular/skeletal fitness. Aerobic types of activity - walking, cycling and swimming should be performed three times per week for duration of 20 - 30 minutes. These types of activity can help all muscles and joints through their natural range of movement and help to maintain flexibility and muscle balance. Any kind of activity, which involves working with or against resistance, is excellent in helping to maintain the strength of bones and muscles. Such activities include weight resistance training and circuit training. An exercise programme should include some of this type of weight-bearing activity.

Another important consideration is that of diet. In order to maintain an optimal level of muscular/skeletal health it is essential that the human body have all the essential nutrients it requires for growth and repair.

Injury and illness can clearly affect the form and function of the human body. Any injury or illness relating to the muscular/skeletal system, caused through lifestyle or trauma, should be treated immediately.

Old injury/illness should be reassessed at regular intervals. These should be discussed in a consultation with a qualified physiotherapist.

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