Are You a Healthy Exerciser?
Getting the right amount of exercise can rev up your energy levels and even help improve your mood.
1. For teens
To get 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day will help them physically and emotionally.
2. For adults
To get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity or do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week.
3. The three parts of a balanced exercise routine are aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility training.
Aerobic Exercise
Like other muscles, the heart enjoys a good workout. Aerobic exercise is any type of exercise that gets the heart pumping and gets you breathing harder. When you give your heart and lungs this kind of workout regularly, they get stronger and are better at getting oxygen to all parts of your body.
Some team sports that give you a great aerobic workout are basketball, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, and rowing.
But if you don’t play team sports, don’t worry — there are plenty of ways to get aerobic exercise. These include biking, jogging, swimming, dancing, in-line skating, tennis, cross-country skiing, hiking, and walking quickly.
Strength Training
Strong muscles also help you because they support your joints and help prevent injuries. Muscle also use more energy than fat does, so building your muscles will help you burn more calories and maintain a healthy weight.
Different types of exercise strengthen different muscle groups, for example:
For arms, try rowing or cross-country skiing. Pull-ups and push-ups, those old gym class standbys, are also good for building arm muscles.
For strong legs, try running, biking, rowing, or skating. Squats and leg raise also work the legs.
For abdominal and core strength, you can’t beat rowing, yoga or pilates, planks, and crunches.
Flexibility Training
Strengthening the heart and other muscles isn’t the only important goal of exercise. Exercise can also help the body stay flexible, meaning that your muscles and joints stretch and bend easily. Being flexible may also help improve a person’s sports performance. Some activities, like dance or martial arts, require great flexibility. But increased flexibility also can help people perform better at other sports, such as soccer or lacrosse.
Sports and activities that encourage flexibility are easy to find. Martial arts like karate, ballet, gymnastics, and yoga are good choices. Stretching after your workout will also help you improve your flexibility.
What’s Right for Me?
