Regular physical activity is undoubtedly one of the best things you can do for your health. And the good news is that so many activities fall under the umbrella of exercise that there is something out there for everyone.
Exercise can have many benefits for your body, including strengthening bones, reducing the risk of heart conditions, obesity, and diseases, and improving mobility, allowing you to do everyday activities easily. On top of this, exercise has many documented benefits for your mental health, too. This is because exercising releases the feel-good chemicals in the brain that help you to feel better about yourself and can help to ward off anxiety and improve signs of depression.
However, despite the many benefits of exercise, around a quarter of US adults don’t exercise at all.
How Often Should You Exercise?
The World Health Organization suggests that everyone engage in at least 150 minutes per week of vigorous activities that increase their heart rate and leave them slightly out of breath. This doesn’t have to be 150 minutes all at once. It can be split up throughout the day and across the week when you can fit it in.
Whether you do three intense gym sessions per week or three 10-minute workouts at home per day, every day, it’s entirely up to you. The aim is to work up a bit of a sweat.
Most notably, there isn’t any specification as to what they classify as exercise, meaning that there is no one right or wrong way to hit these activity goals and improve your mental and physical health. The main thing you need to bear in mind is that for exercise to be something you can and want to do and make it part of your routine, you need to enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy it, chances are you won’t stick to it, and you’ll be right back at square one.
How To Find Time To Exercise
If finding the time to work is something you’re struggling with, there are some tips that can help you out.
- Put it in your diary or schedule and commit to seeing it through
- Identify the best time of day for you, be it 5 a.m. or 10 p.m. Look at when you’re most likely to exercise and factor this into your day.
- Have everything ready beforehand. If it’s easier to change into exercise clothing or your equipment is set up at home, you will be more likely to work out.
- Find someone to exercise with you for support and accountability.
The following types of exercise are ones for you to consider when looking to work out or increase your activity levels.
Gym
Let’s start with the most obvious methods of working out. Taking out a gym membership and heading out to the gym. You can do a variety of workouts and exercises in a gym environment.
You can head into strength training and lift weights; strength training is recommended for those who want to build muscle and tone up while losing weight. Plus, strength training can help you retain mobility as you get older and help you out in your senior years. You can choose to do cardio workouts using one of the machines, such as the elliptical or treadmill, or you can join any classes they run while you get those essential minutes clocked up.
Home Workouts
If going to a gym isn’t for you, but you still want to get a good workout in, then you can find a plethora of different workouts online that you can do in your own home. You can even build your own gym, too, if you want to. Look at different training programs you can find online, both for free and paid online gym subscriptions. Find exercise classes and invest in any equipment you might need. Whether you need a kettlebell set, dumbbells, a yoga mat, or Pilates equipment, invest in them and commit to using them each and every day.
Walking
Walking is one of the easiest and most accessible exercises you can do. It’s free and easy, and most people can do it daily. Just 30 minutes of walking per day can help strengthen bones, reduce obesity, boost muscle power, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness, and boost mental health.
If you don’t want to do any other type of exercise, increasing your daily steps by 1,000-2,000 more than you’re currently doing can be an extremely effective way to get more movement into your day.
When it comes to getting your steps in, you can go for long walks outdoors wherever you like to walk. You can invest in a treadmill or walking pad for the home or find walking workouts on YouTube to help you get those steps in and have a fun workout, too.
Dancing
If you need something fun and energetic that can help you work up a sweat, dancing is definitely something you should consider. Again, there are so many different options from which to choose if dancing is your thing.
First of all, you can simply dance around the house to your favorite music. If it gets you out of breath slightly, then it definitely counts. You can try dancing workouts, or you can take a class in any dance style you like.
From taking a Zumba class to trying ballet, salsa, or even street dance, you can get grooving and moving to the music. This can help boost your fitness levels and get that all-important exercise into your day in a way that works for you.
Sports
Playing sports is ideal for those who like team games and don’t want to follow a strict workout program. You don’t need to be playing at a professional level for sports to benefit your life. Being able to play your favorite sport or any sport in any capacity is definitely going to benefit your fitness and count towards those 150 minutes you need to be active per week.
There are plenty of sports you can choose from when it comes to playing, from football to golf, baseball, basketball, tennis, and volleyball, for example. But anything goes, and you might even find that team sports and the camaraderie you can get from playing sports with others can help you enjoy it even more.
Swimming
Swimming is one of the best low-impact exercises for physical wellness. It is often recommended for those who have a lot of weight to lose or want a full-body workout with a lower impact on their joints. The water holds your weight, making it easier to move and reducing stress and strain on the joints.
So if you’re looking for an exercise that can be done alone or with others yet doesn’t involve you moving your body in different ways and potentially risking joint damage but is still effective, swimming might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Cycling
Cycling is mostly aerobic exercise, so it is always beneficial for cardiovascular health. It can also help you build endurance and leg strength, as well as give you the opportunity to get out into the world and take in the sights and sounds of the world around you. Alternatively, you can invest in a stationary bike and cycle at home instead.
Cycling, when paired with a calorie deficit, can help you burn fat and build muscle specifically on your hamstrings, glutes, quads, and calves.
Running/Jogging
Again, you can do this in a gym or at home on a treadmill, or you can get out and pound the pavement as you build up to running or jogging for longer distances. Both running and jogging can have many health benefits, including improved fitness and cardiovascular function, improved mental clarity, and the ability to build muscle and burn fat.
However, both can be hard on the joints, especially for beginners or those who aren’t wearing the right footwear. It’s important to warm up and cool down properly when running or jogging and wear suitable running shoes to help you absorb the impact from the ground under your feet and avoid excess injuries.
Strength Training
We touched upon hitting the gym in the first point; however, it is important to discuss the benefits of strength training for everyone. Lifting weights and building strength and muscle can have many benefits when executed correctly and in good form. You can use any type of weight, including body weight and resistance bands, for strength training, and it can have many benefits.
Strength training improves joints, increases grip strength, and allows your body to move in beneficial ways to support normal every day movements you make. It can help you avoid the signs of aging and keep your body strong and healthy.
Exercises such as bent-over rows, lunges, squats, farmer carries, and push-ups are great movements to include to help with daily tasks such as getting up from a chair, going from sitting to standing, carrying groceries, and going upstairs.
Exercise can take many different forms, and there is no one way to exercise. The main point is that you do something. Remember, start small, build in habits that you can sustain, and, more importantly, do something you really enjoy.
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