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Living a Healthy Life -- Wellness and Physical Fitness

Classes:
Introduction > Take the Test > Nutrition and Meal Preparation > Exercise and Physical Fitness > Prevention and Regular Check-Ups > Special Considerations > Conclusion

Types of Exercise > Common Terms > General Guidelines For Exercise > Maintaining a Healthy Weight > Quick Tips for Exercise On the Go!

General Guidelines For Exercise

The guidelines for how often, how long, and what type of exercise you should be doing can vary greatly depending upon your health and age. However, in general, it is recommended that:

You exercise at least 3-5 times a week for 20-60 minutes at a time.
Your exercise include some type of activity that involves large muscle groups and increases your heart rate (for example walking, running, cycling, or swimming) and also includes some strength training and flexibility exercises.

Before beginning an exercise program, remember to:

Check with your doctor or healthcare provider. Find out if you have any medical limitations you should be aware of (both physical limitations and possible limitations caused by medicine).
If possible, have an exercise test to determine your current level of fitness and work with a trained exercise professional to create an individual exercise program.

When exercising, remember to:

Stop immediately if you experience pain, nausea, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, or shortness of breath. Contact your doctor and describe what happened before continuing any sort of exercise.
Always do both warm-up and cool-down exercises for at least five minutes to make sure that your heart rate changes slowly and you don't hurt any muscles. Warm-up and cool-down exercises can be light activity (like slow walking or stretching).
Never "work through the pain" when exercising; you can only hurt yourself.
Drink plenty of fluids, especially water.
Wear appropriate clothing. (If exercising indoors or on a hot day, be sure to wear cool clothing. If exercising outside in cool weather, be sure that your head, hands, and feet are kept warm.)
Create an exercise program that meets your needs, but make sure that your needs and goals are realistic.

Next: Maintaining a Healthy Weight