INTRODUCTION
Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle for many reasons. It has been shown to have many profound benefits including:
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Weight loss
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Decreased blood pressure
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Lower blood sugar
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Lower risk of heart attack and stroke
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Improved heart function
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Stronger bones and muscles
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Better sleep
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Less anxiety
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Lower risk for dementia/Alzheimer's disease
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Less chronic pain
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Improved mood and lower risk of depression
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Many more!
HOW MUCH EXERCISE?
It is recommended that you do a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity each week. A good way to get this is to do 30 minutes of exercise each day, at least 5 times a week.
More exercise means more benefits.
The benefits mentioned above are what is expected to happen to you if you do the minimum of 150 minutes of exercise each week. However, the more exercise you do, the more benefit you can expect to receive in each of these areas!
What is "moderate to vigorous exercise"?
Exercise intensity is measured on a scale from low to vigorous.
Low Intensity Exercise includes things like walking slowly, doing housework, and gardening. In healthy people, this kind of exercise will not cause a person to feel like their heart is working any harder, and they will not feel like they are breathing harder. This kind of exercise usually doesn’t make you break a sweat. This kind of exercise is good for you and will make you feel good about yourself, but it isn’t enough to cause the benefits that are mentioned above.
Moderate Intensity Exercise includes things like brisk walking, hiking, cycling, or playing sports like soccer, basketball, and squash. In healthy people, moderate intensity exercise will make you feel a bit out of breath, but you will still be able to have a conversation with someone if you speak in short sentences while you exercise. You will break a sweat and your heart rate will increase. This kind of exercise is very good for you and will lead to the benefits mentioned above!
Vigorous Intensity Exercise includes things like running, stair-climbing, cross country skiing, or playing sports at a high level. In healthy people, vigorous intensity exercise will make you completely out of breath to the point that you can only get a word or two out in between breaths. Participating in these kinds of activities will make you very sweaty and you will feel like your heart is racing. This kind of exercise is very good for you, but if you do not regularly exercise you may find you need to work yourself up to this intensity of exercise. There is some new research saying
that you can do less than the recommended 150 minutes of exercise each week to get the same benefits if the exercise that you do is at a very high intensity. This might be a good option for people who are used to exercising but find a hard time fitting it into their schedules.
What is "aerobic exercise"?
There are generally two main types of exercise:
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Aerobic (cardiovascular)
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Strength and balance exercise
Aerobic/Cardiovascular Exercise
This kind of exercise is the type of exercise that has traditionally been shown to provide most of the benefits mentioned above. We have more than 50 years worth of scientific studies showing that this kind of exercise has lots and lots of health benefits.
Strength and Balance Exercise
Examples of aerobic/cardiovascular exercise:
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Walking (take the pet for a walk, walk around the mall,
or go to the park) -
Taking the stairs at work or home
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Swimming
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Running/jogging
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Cycling
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Hiking
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Tennis
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Hockey
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Basketball
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Using a treadmill, elliptical, or stair climbing machine
More recent research is starting to show that these kinds of exercises also have lots of health benefits. In particular we know that these kinds of exercises can be great for reducing chronic pain, improving strength, keeping up bone strength, and decreasing our risk of falls as we age. This kind of exercise can also help us to feel better about ourselves emotionally and feel better about our bodies.
Examples of strength and balance exercise:
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Weight training
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Yoga
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Pilates
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Tai Chi
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Martial arts
MYTHS ABOUT EXERCISE
I’d like to start exercising but I really want to do the best kind of exercise and don’t know what that is.
There really isn’t a “best” kind of exercise. The true best kind of exercise is something that you know you enjoy and firmly believe you can keep up on a long-term basis. One good trick is to ask yourself: “On a scale of 1-10, how likely am I to see myself still doing this on a regular basis one month from now?” If your answer is anything less than 7, there is good evidence that says you won’t still be doing it. So, be honest with yourself, and pick something that you know you will enjoy and can see yourself continuing with. It may take multiple tries to find something you love. Don’t be discouraged if you fail to stick to your first choice, it’s normal for it to take a few tries.
I can’t afford to exercise; a gym membership is just too expensive.
Although joining a gym can be a good way to commit to regularly exercising, it is not the only way to get in your regular exercise. Lots of people enjoying doing exercise outside of the gym. You can always join a local sports league, work out at home, or use the free spaces in your neighbourhood like parks, trails, and sidewalks. If you do feel like joining a gym is a good idea for you, look for one that might have a discount membership for you. Some gyms may even have special promotions for people with certain medical conditions!
Exercise just causes me lots of pain.
It’s true, exercise can be painful. This can be especially true for people who suffer from chronic pain syndromes or other conditions like arthritis. However, finding the right kinds of exercise can actually be the best treatment for many of these conditions. If you have pain, consider trying activities like swimming that are easy on your joints. Yoga and properly done strength training are also activities that have been proven effective treatments for pain. The keys to remember are to start slowly, gradually build up your ability to exercise, and remember to take days off if you have worsened pain.
Exercise just increases my blood pressure.
The body’s natural response to exercise is to increase the blood pressure to help send the blood to all the important organs that need it for exercise (the heart, brain, lungs, and muscles). This is why you might notice your blood pressure go up during exercise and stay up for a short period of time after you’re done. The important thing to realize is that over time, with continued regular exercise, your average blood pressure will decrease.
I’ve exercised for a few weeks and I still have the same weight.
Many people have trouble losing weight with just exercise. The combined approach of diet modification and exercise is the best way to lose weight. While this is true, it is also important to remember that all types of exercise also cause us to build muscle. Initially you might notice that your weight isn’t changing because you’re actually building muscle (which is heavier than fat). If you build muscle at the same time as you lose fat, your weight is unlikely to change. The important thing is to keep up the habit of exercising for a longer period of time. Eventually you should notice a change in the number on the scale. It’s also important to remember that weight loss should not be the number one goal of your exercise. Exercise is good for your health regardless of whether or not you have seen a change in the number on the scale. Don’t let a lack of weight loss discourage you from continuing to exercise!
I’ve already had a heart attack or a stroke so it’s too late for me to start exercising.
This is just not true. Cardiac Rehab is a program that everyone should engage in after having a heart attack. This program is one example of how exercise helps prevent future health problems even after you’ve had a serious health event like a heart attack or stroke. It is never too late to start exercising to make you healthier. Think of it like quitting smoking. It is never too late to quit smoking, you will always see benefits from making a positive health choice. Exercise is the same way. In fact, it is one of the best ways to prevent the same or similar health problems from affecting you again.
My friend or family member had a heart attack while doing exercise and I don’t want that to happen to me. Clearly exercise is not safe.
In general, exercise is a very safe activity. Remember to start slow and gradually increase your ability to tolerate exercise. If you are concerned, speak with your doctor about how much exercise might be safe for you to start with. It is also important to pay attention to your body. Stop exercising and talk to your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:
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Chest pain, tightness, pressure, or squeezing during exercise
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Shortness of breath that does not go away after you reduce the intensity of your exercise
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Pain in the muscles of your legs that starts during exercise and goes away when you rest again
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Dizziness during exercise
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Fainting during exercise
Last updated on March 18, 2021
Page created by: Adam Vanderleest (Meds 2021)