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Exercise and staying active Many sections of this booklet refer to exercise as a way to improve your health. Table 12 describes different types of exercise and the advantages and disadvantages of each, and Table 13 highlights some of the health benefits. For more information talk to your doctor about the type of exercise that could benefit you most. Often this might just be any way to make your life more active. WHO guidelines recommend at least 1–5 hours exercise each week depending on the type of exercise (see box). If you have not exercised for a while you will need to build up your strength and stamina slowly. Exercise is individual to your goals. Some people want to build up muscle, some to others to loose weight and others to just get fit. Each goal uses different types of exercise.
WHO adult guidelines (age 18–64). 1. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorousintensity aerobic activity each week – or a combination. 2. Increasing this time (ie to 300 and 150 minutes respectively) will lead to better health benefits. 3. Aerobic activity should last for at least 10 minutes duration. 4. Muscle-strengthening activity should involve major muscle groups on at least two days a week. The recommendations for children and those over 65 are slightly different but still promote the importance and many benefits of physical activity.
Table 12: Main types of exercise and related benefits Examples
Comment
Walking, jogging, running, cycling, rowing, step machines, dancing, skipping, swimming.
Any exercise that makes your heart beat faster is an aerobic exercise. As your heart beats faster your heart muscles become stronger. This also increases blood circulation so which helps clear your blood vessels.
Resistance
Press-ups, pull-ups, using free weights or machines.
Any exercise where you use increased weights (and/or increased repetitions) to make mucsles work harder is called resistance exercise. This type of exercise will build up and maintain muscle mass.
Weight bearing
Walking, running, jogging etc. Some types of weight lifting.
Exercise that puts weight on your bones, helps your bones grow and stay strong. This includes some aeobic exercie like running and some resisance exercie like weight lifting.
Flexibility
Stretching, yoga, pilates
Exercises that improve the range of motion of muscles and joints
Aerobic
July 2012
As you work harder and for longer periods (longer than 10 minutes) this exercise starts to burn off fat.
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