How Much Exercise?

HOW MUCH EXERCISE?

Barry M. Stein, DPE Clinical Exercise Physiologist 

Starting a fitness program may be one of the best things you can do for your health. With your doctor's OK to exercise, physical activity can reduce your risk of chronic disease, improve your balance and coordination, help you lose weight - even improve your sleep habits and self-esteem. And there's more good news. You can do it in just five steps.

Step 1: Exercise Assessment

You probably have some idea of how fit you are. But assessing and recording baseline fitness scores with an exercise evaluation can give you benchmarks against which to measure your progress. At our Get Fit For Life program in Bayside, NY, the exercise evaluation includes:

• Review of medical history
• Review of current lifestyle/exercise habits
• Blood pressure/heart rate/height/weight/BMI (Body Mass Index)
• Pulse oximetery (Measurement of blood/oxygen saturation at rest and during exercise)
• Monitored Treadmill Functional Capacity Test
• Prescriptive exercise programming

Step 2: Designing your exercise program

It's easy to say that you'll exercise every day. But you'll need a plan and no single plan is perfect for everyone. As you design your fitness program, keep these points in mind:

• What are your goals? Are you starting a fitness program to help lose weight? Or do you have another motivation, such as preparing for a 10K race? Having clear goals can help you gauge your progress.
• Consider your likes and dislikes. Choose activities you'll enjoy. If you have fun doing the exercises you've selected, you're more likely to keep doing them.
• Don't try to get fit fast. If you're just beginning to exercise, start cautiously and progress slowly.
• Structure more activity into your daily routine. Finding time to exercise can be a challenge. Schedule time for exercise as you would any other appointment.
• Be Creative. Vary your activities to prevent boredom. Cross-training will also reduce the risk of injury or overuse of a specific muscle or joint. Alternate your program among activities that emphasize different parts of your body, such as walking, swimming and strength training.
• Allow sufficient time to recover. Some people who begin an exercise program start working out too long (or at too hign an  intensely) and their muscles and joints become sore or injured. You need to allow sufficient time between sessions for your body to rest and recover.
• record what you do. A written plan helps you stay on track and note your progress.

Step 3: Exercise equipment

You'll probably start with athletic shoes. Be sure to pick shoes designed for the activity you have in mind. If you're planning to invest in exercise equipment, choose something that's practical, enjoyable and easy to use.

Step 4: Let's get started

• Start slowly and build up gradually. Give yourself plenty of time to warm up and cool down with easy walking or gentle stretching. Then speed up to a pace you can continue for five to 10 minutes without getting overly tired. If you can't carry on a conversation while you exercise, you're probably pushing too hard. As your stamina improves, increase the amount of time you exercise by one to five minutes a session. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
• Break things up if you have to. You don't have to do all your exercise at one time. Shorter but more frequent sessions have aerobic benefits, too. Ten minutes of exercise three times a day may fit into your schedule better than a single 30-minute session.
• Be creative. Maybe your workout routine includes various activities, such as walking, bicycling or rowing. But don't stop there. Be creative finding new ways to increase your daily energy expenditure.
• Listen to your body. If you feel pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea or any symptom not generally experienced by you during exercise,  slow down and stop. You may be pushing yourself too hard.
• Be flexible. If you're not feeling good, take a day or two off. Remember, it took time to get out-of-shape ... and it will take time to get back-into-shape. You can't rush the process withour risking injury.

Step 5: Judging your progress

Retake your exercise evaluation approximately 12 weeks after you begin your program and therafter every three to six months. You may notice that you need to increase the amount of time you exercise in order to continue improving. Or you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you're exercising just the right amount to meet your fitness goals. If you lose motivation, set new goals or try a new activity. Exercising with a friend or significant other or taking an exercise class at a gym may help.  Beginning an exercise program is an important decision, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. By planning carefully what you intend to do and pacing yourself you can establish a life-long healthy habit.