Healthy living
Exercise and fitness
Exercise basics
Like a machine, your body needs to be maintained in a decent all-round state of efficiency and readiness for action. Unlike a machine, using your body moderately actually preserves its functions for longer
Sports science distinguishes three aspects:
- Stamina - staying power. Aerobic exercise increases the speed at which your body uses up air to release energy. Not only can you work harder for longer, but you recover more quickly when you rest. You get more enjoyment from the exercise, accomplish more, improve your appetite and sleep and keep trimmer. Even better, your heart and lungs are kept younger for much longer as a result of regular aerobic exercise.
- Strength - muscle force. The more you use a muscle the stronger it gets. This is why weight-lifters 'pump iron'. It's never good to let muscles weaken from lack of use. Well-used muscles deter injury and back problems, maintain good posture and keep your bones strong.
- Suppleness - flexibility. Muscles and joints keep supple if they are moved regularly through their full range. Steady, regular aerobic activity therefore repays big dividends to people wanting to live well. Your heart, lungs, muscles, posture, bones, trimness, appetite and sleep all benefit.
There's really good news for those of us who find exercise a bit of a chore. Regularity counts for more than duration. Scientists at America's space agency NASA worked out that 10 minutes of sustained moderate exertion three times a week is enough to keep an astronaut (and therefore you) in reasonable shape.
This amount won't increase your stamina but it won't let it slip away, either. And it's enough to keep your heart and lungs reasonably efficient. However, to regain lost stamina you need at least 20 minutes each time, without a break, working hard enough to warm you up and make talking an effort.
Further benefit kicks in at 20 minutes, so prolonging each spell up to half an hour is a useful step. To resume a very physical sport, you will need eventually to work up stamina and strength to appropriate levels for your game.
Make it easy
You can start to improve your fitness by doing things a little differently every day: small steps help a lot and you'll hardly notice the effort involved after a while.
- walk or cycle to the shops
- leave your car at the furthest end of the car park
- use the stairs instead of the lift
- rely less on power tools in the garden or shed
- don't wait ages for a bus - walk on to the next stop
Build up slowly
The above provides an essential minimum, on which you will need to build further to encompass any sport you are keen on but, first, you need to get back into condition.
Once you can comfortably sustain an appropriate form of basic exercise for an hour or so, a coach or trainer will be glad to supervise your return to match strength and fitness.
Reader comments
After a lifetime of extreme activity such as regular dancing,swimming & walking about 3 years ago I developed realy painful feet. The pain was in the top part of my feet over the instep. As a result of this I gradually had to give up dancing and cut down a lot on walking, the only exercise I could still mannage was swimming. 3 weeks ago,whilst on a holiday break, a lady told me about copper heelies, as usual I was very cinicle but my husband insisted that I try them. It is almost as if a miricle has happened, I have worn them every day for 2 weeks and cannot believe the improvement in my condition. I know I probably sound like an advertisement, but believe me, I am one person who has tried everything that has been suggested by various people and consultants usually with no effect, but these realy seem to be working. I keep thinking that I will wake up and find it a dream but so far that hasnt happened. The copper heelies are inserts made by a shop in London, Im not sure if they will work for every one but they certainly seem to be working for me Patricia Tos Eastbourne
Posted by: Patricia Tos | 04/09/2008 07:05:46
what do you do if you are 75,had a stroke 2 years ago and can hardly walk???
Posted by: Norman Walsh | 24/07/2007 21:17:40
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.