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Exercise Facts

Evidence shows that regular exercise can:

• increase levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol

• lower high blood pressure

• help improve body composition by burning fat

• promote bone density

• boost the immune system

• improve mood and reduce the chance of depression

Exercise is really important for our bodies to stay healthy and keep in good working order; exercise reduces stress, strengthens muscles and joints, and helps us to control our weigh; young people who are active say that physical activity helps them unwind after school and feel more energetic; exercise can help you meet up with old friends and make new ones; studies show that people's activity levels tend to decline with age. So if you know you are not an active person, now is the time to do something about it.

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Too busy to do exercise?

You don't have to be a sporty person to be an active person.

• Make activity part of your normal day - cycle or walk to school. It will become a habit without you realising it.

• When shopping with friends - use the stairs instead of the lift or escalator.

• All young people should aim for one hour per day of moderate physical activity (e.g. walking) - but this can be broken down into smaller chunks so it's easier to fit it into your day.

• If you don't do much at the moment, start with half an hour every day.

• Go to the beach and fly a kite or throw a Frisbee - if you're moving, you're exercising.

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Dos and Don'ts

Dos:

• Set yourself goals, but don't forget to make them realistic.

• Try to do lots of different activities so you don't get bored.

• Warm up before you starting exercising, cool down gradually and stretch afterwards.

• Drink lots of water.

• Aim to do two sessions per week that strengthen your muscles, e.g. gymnastics, circuits, body conditioning, or resistance exercises.

Don'ts

• Don't take part in any physical activity immediately after a heavy meal.

• Don't exercise if you feel ill or are injured.

• Don't try to do everything at once - build up your physical activity levels gradually.

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Barriers to being more active

People give many reasons for not taking up exercise:

• lack of time due to work or family commitments

• cost of equipment or gym membership

• lack of facilities nearby

• personal safety when exercising outdoors alone

• poor weather or night-time lighting

However, there are ways to get round all of these potential barriers. For example, by getting off the bus to school or work one or two stops earlier than usual, which is free and requires no special equipment or facilities.

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Take moderate exercise

Many people are put off physical activity because they believe that only vigorous exercise or playing sport counts as healthy activity. But, in fact, substantial health benefits can be achieved from regular activity without the need for special equipment, sporting ability or getting very hot and sweaty.

There is now strong scientific evidence that moderate intensity physical activity ?equivalent to brisk walking for 30 minutes per day on most days of the week ?is enough to bring about real benefits in terms of promoting health and preventing illnesses.

Regular activity can also improve the way you look and feel. In combination with a balanced diet, regular activity can help to maintain a healthy weight. It can even boost self-confidence and reduce the risk of depression.

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How much exercise is enough?

For an adult, regular, moderate intensity physical activity means using up about an extra 200 calories per day, most days of the week. This equates to about 30 minutes of activity, such as a two-mile brisk walk, that should make you feel warm and mildly out of breath. During moderate intensity activity, you should still be able to talk without panting in between your words.

If you have previously been inactive and 30 minutes of activity per day sounds like a tall order, the good news is that separate sessions of ten minutes can count towards the total.

It's possible to achieve your 30 minute target by making fairly simple changes to your everyday routine, without joining the gym or running a marathon.

Examples of everyday activities that count:

• walking up stairs instead of using lifts

• walking up moving escalators

• for short journeys, walking instead of driving

• doing the housework at "double-time",

• DIY and gardening, such as painting or raking leaves

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Keep fit and Have fun

Your ability to keep up a physical activity such as jogging, racket sports, cycling or swimming, is related to your aerobic fitness ?or stamina.

Generally speaking, the greater your stamina, the greater are the health benefits. If you want to improve your stamina, it's important to start gently, increasing the frequency of your activity before increasing how hard you exercise.

The key to keeping up with a resolution to get fit is finding an activity, or range of activities, that you enjoy. Not everyone sees exercise as fun, and doing something you find boring just because it's good for you is very difficult to sustain. But you can take steps to make it more enjoyable.

Try out new sports or activities until you find something you like. When you find an activity you like, try exercising with a friend, at a pace that still allows you to talk. Activities that you can do as a family or with friends may help with motivation.

Perhaps try activities to music, such as dance or aerobics, and make sure you vary your activity a little so you don't get bored. Try exercising in beautiful scenery, such as on a beach or in a park. Maybe you could buy yourself some new exercise clothes that you like wearing and feel good in.

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Stay motivated

Even when you usually enjoy exercising, there will be days when you just can't seem to find the motivation to get active. Here are some practical tips to help keep up enthusiasm:

• Keep a diary. Whatever sport or activity you do, this can help you. Note down how far you ran or the match score, your pulse, how you felt etc. That way you can look back and see how you have improved over time

• Collect inspiration. Stick quotes from coaches, athletes, or anyone successful around your house and/or your office. Inspirational stories from people who have achieved against the odds may help - if they can do it, so can you

When it comes to staying motivated it's just as important to train your brain as it is to train your body. Here are just a few ideas to help you win the mental battle and stay on the exercise track.

• Set yourself some short and long-term goals. Success will provide you with a sense of satisfaction and further motivation to keep up the new lifestyle. Keep your goals SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-based. For example, rather than saying you'll get fit by summer, start by setting the more specific goal of going to an hour-long fitness class every week.

• A great way to stay focused is to keep reminding yourself of the reasons that motivated you to start exercising in the first place eg the aim of losing weight, improving your health, or testing yourself in a competition by taking part in a race

• Visualisation. Picture yourself achieving your goal, such as completing a race or slipping into the next size down in trousers, and imagine what it will feel like. These images and feelings will help to motivate you to achieving them for realEnjoy it! Exercising releases chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, that have a strong affect on your mood, helping reduce anxiety, stress and depression. So whenever you don't feel like exercising, try to remind yourself how good you will feel afterwards

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Home Gyms are an Excellent way to get in shape

Most people are aware that home gyms are affordable and ready to purchase and put in their home. Most begin with a great lifetime fitness plan that involves getting their heart to its target heart rate for maximum weight loss and fitness. The tricky part seems to be in choosing the best exercise equipment for both mens health and womens health. You need to decide what kind of exercise you need to do to achieve the kind of healthy lifestyle you desire.

If you love to walk or run for your exercise, a treadmill would seem to be a sensible choice. The latest treadmill machines have been designed for maintaining endurance and cardiovascular fitness. This piece of exercise equipment is the most popular choice for people to burn calories and lose weight.

Multi-station gyms for the home offer the kind of equipment you want from a gym membership without the hassles of waiting for machines on crowded and noisy atmospheres.  The best gyms usually offer over 40 exercises. With a gym at home, you can enjoy weight loss, muscle toning and strength building workouts.

A close second in popularity for home exercise equipment are elliptical trainers. This machine gives the user a low-impact workout that exercises many groups of muscles. An elliptical machine combines cross-training arms with foot pedals for a healthy and effective workout.

If you aren't sure about what the best home exercise equipment you should buy and before beginning any changes in your diet or lifestyle, always consult your doctor. When you make an investment like an exercise equipment, consider your commitment so that the machine is used and serves a purpose other than taking up space. When you choose the right gym for your home, you will enjoy countless hours of exercise, fitness and a healthier lifestyle.

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Correct Yoga Poses Help You Balance The Body And Mind

The use of correct yoga poses in your yoga exercises connects both your body and mind. When you exercise with yoga as a part of your lifetime fitness program, you will discover the kind of willpower and determination it takes to attain each yoga pose and to practice it on a daily basis. When you exercise with yoga it can improve your health, increase your immunity and build up your mental awareness. Yoga is an appropriate and effective way to exercise at your target heart rate and is effective in both mens health and women health programs.

Doing the correct yoga pose each time will require you to learn each pose and carry it out slowly while you control your body and mind. You will find a number of names when you look for yoga exercises like Asanas, Yoga postures or simply poses. All yoga exercises work on the several different systems of the body. The right pose can make the spine and joints more flexible while toning the muscles, glands and internal organs.

Those who have disciplined themselves, left the old exercise equipment behind and learned each individual yoga pose have discovered that yoga is more than simply exercising their bodies. Yoga practitioners claim to become aware of a vital energy flow through their use of correct breathing. This process is said to create a union between your breath and movement.

Many people choose to add yoga to their daily routine in an effort to create a healthy lifestyle filled with exercise and a good diet. While each position you learn will have a different effect on specific areas of your body, you will find what you can benefit from and what works for you. Before beginning any new exercise program, it is best to consult your physician.

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Exercise Bikes Can Help Promote Weight Loss

Exercise bikes are highly recommended when considering efficient ways to exercise at home. You can use your bike within a lifetime fitness program, to reach your target heart rate to achieve maximum results. While other pieces of exercise equipment can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, an exercise bicycle can be surprisingly affordable depending on the kind of machine and features you desire. An exercise bike is suitable for improving both mens health and womens health. In addition to a healthy diet and lifestyle, using an exercise bicycle can offer fitness benefits that are not available anywhere else.

Using an exercise bicycle is an effective way to get a complete workout in your home. A bike will exercise your legs, heart and lungs without putting pressure on your joints. It also significantly reduces your risk of injury. Riding a stationery bike at home can become monotonous, so vary your routine each week. You can schedule 2 30-minute sessions with a warm up of 5 minutes, 10 minutes of hard work and the rest of the time for warm down. You can use different variations to suit your needs per week. Sometimes watching TV or listening to an upbeat CD can add motivation and keep you interested in what you are doing.

If riding your bike for exercise each day becomes so boring that you don't want to ride it anymore, you can begin walking alternately. You can ride the bike one day and then take walks for exercise on the next day. You can vary this variety day by day or week by week. Whatever you do, don't let the monotony of an exercise bike stop you from maintaining a healthy fitness schedule.

Always consult your doctor before adding to or changing your fitness routine. Regular exercise with your bike along with a healthy diet and lifestyle should keep you fit and feeling energetic.

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Abdominal Exercises Strengthen Your Abs

Abdominal exercises are a great way to work out and get those toned and well-defined abs that you've always wanted. Not only will you get the look you want, but you can also add these exercises to your lifetime fitness program and use it as a tool to work towards your target heart rate. While you can find exercise equipment available to work on your abdominal area, they aren't always necessary. For mens health and womens health routines, here are a few suggestions to add to your weekly exercise regimen and flatten out your tummy.

For the first exercise for your abs, begin by lying on the floor with the lower part of your legs supported up on a step or chair. Relax your legs as much as possible. Put one thumb behind each ear so that your fingertips make contact behind your head but are not intertwined. Lift your head, neck and shoulder blades off of the floor and rotate your torso to the left while leading with your right shoulder. Turn back to the center and then rotate to the right with your left shoulder and back to the center again. While you are lifting and twisting, squeeze your abdominals.

The next exercise for the abs requires you to lie down on your back with your knees bent, feet off of the floor and ankles crossed. Squeeze your abdominal muscles while letting your head and shoulders raise a little bit. Don't lift your head and shoulders first and focus on your abdominal muscles. Your head and shoulders will rise on their own. Hold your tightened muscles while pulling your knees up towards your chest. You will feel this in the abdominal area. Lower your legs, relax your abs and repeat.

There are many other exercises and crunches you can add to your exercise routine. In addition to maintaining your health with a good diet and a healthy lifestyle, you will see, feel and enjoy the results of your ab workouts.

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