Fitness and Exercise

Why is exercise important?

Exercise is any activity that requires physical effort and is performed to improve or maintain fitness. How much exercise you need is an individual matter. But, an average person should exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3 to 4 times a week.

Exercise includes activities such as walking, jogging, playing a game of softball, basketball, riding a bike etc. Even walking up a flight of stairs is exercise.

Symptoms of being out of shape

Not only do people have different weight levels, but they also have different levels of fitness. How can you tell if you are in shape? Try figuring out which best describes you:

If you feel better, not worse, shortly after exercising and that good feeling stays with you for many hours, then you are in shape.

If you are not in shape, you may have some of these symptoms:
" Feeling out-of-breath after walking up a flight of stairs;
" Feeling exhausted, weak or shaky after a few minutes of hard work or exercise;
" Your heart is pounding 10 minutes after exercise;
" Frequent muscle tension or tightness;
" Your muscles feeling soft or flabby;
" Trouble sleeping at night after exercising;
" Feeling unusually tired the day after exercising; and
" Feeling tired or run down most of the time.

These are just a few symptoms suggesting that
you are out of shape; you may have other symptoms also.

To assess your level of fitness, please answer YES or NO to the following questions.
" Do you exercise regularly?
" Would the people close to you describe you as healthy?
" Do you smoke cigarettes?
" Do you consciously choose to limit the amount of sugar, salt, fats and cholesterol in your diet, and to eat enough fiber at least 90% of the time?
" If you tried an exercise program in the past and quit, do you understand the reason why you stopped?
" Will your close friends and family support you if you make some healthy changes in your life?
" Do you do things during the day that take extra physical effort and energy?
" Do you want to improve your current level of physical fitness?
Based upon review of your responses,
how would you describe your current level of fitness?

Aside from physical benefit, exercise also helps you mentally with greater sense of well-being, self-esteem, and reduced anxiety and depression. For those who make exercise a lifetime habit, there are many other health benefits:
* Regular exercise, such as walking or biking, helps prevent heart disease.
* Exercise helps normalize blood pressure.
* Exercise helps regulate blood sugar and can also help manage type ii diabetes.
* Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, jogging, tennis, etc.,

--- helps prevent bone loss that occurs as we age [which could lead to the formation of brittle & fragile bones].
* Exercise helps support body structure, strengthening muscles and joints.
* Exercise helps promote weight loss towards ideal body weight.
* Exercise helps promote flexibility in the muscles with strength.
* Exercise provides pleasure and enjoyment in life with more fun.

Other resources: If you would like to find more information
Try the following websites for more information:

NHLBI - Weight control & Meal Planning