Benefits of Regular Exercise
Regular exercise can not only help you keep in shape, it can help you feel more energised, less stressed, more alert and a lot better about yourself.
Health Body Healthy Mind
The great thing about exercise is that there are so many different ways to do it. Even a little can make a big difference, so you don’t need to train for the Olympics or become a sports fanatic - it could be as simple as going for a brisk walk, a bike ride or taking the stairs at work instead of the lift.
The other thing about exercise is that you decide on how much you want to do. It doesn’t have to take up a lot of your time or involve a lot of expense. Whether you just want to get healthy, train for a sport or lose weight, exercise can help you get there quicker. It can also be fun.
Starting An Exercise Routine
Thinking and doing are two different things - and getting started can be the hardest part of any regime. Decide what it is you want to achieve and set yourself a simple, achievable target. Don’t expect too much at once - take it small steps and build up slowly.
Choose an exercise that you think you’ll enjoy and that matches your goals. If you’re looking for health, fitness and weight loss look for an exercise that improves body strength, cardio and a healthy diet. If you’re looking to improve racing times, focus on speed workouts.
Increasing your Workout Levels
Whatever you do, think F.I.T.T. - Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type. Getting the combination right will make noticeable improvements and changes to your body weight, body fat percentage, cardio endurance and strength. As your body starts to get used to your FITT levels, the changes will start to slow down - adjusting one or more of them will give your body new challenges and stop the repetition becoming boring. For example, if you’ve been walking for three times a week for 20 minutes, increase it to four (Frequency). Add bursts of jogging or speed walking (Intensity) or increase the duration to 30 minutes (Time). Maybe change or add a new activity (Type). You should do this every four to six weeks.
Remember too, that rest between workouts is just as important as the activity and gives your body time to recover.
To keep yourself motivated, remind yourself of your goals. Think how much better you’ll feel afterwards - and treat yourself to a small reward now and again.
