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Exercise
| Exercise Introduction |
There are many reasons to exercise. It can improve
your physical health through increased strength,
endurance, and flexibility. Exercise can also improve your
mental and spiritual health by clearing space in which you
can reenergize and refocus. We'll get back to the Zen of
exercise later. For an exercise program to be successful,
it has to be sustainable and enjoyable. You have to
develop techniques to get out the door daily and to keep it
fresh. And lastly, you should start low and increase the
exercise load slowly. Pushing yourself hard out the gate
leads to burn out, frustration and injury
Any exercise program needs to address the 3 components
of physical health: strength, endurance, and flexibility.
This can be accomplished in 30 minutes a day. The first
step is to decide what should be you base exercise. It can
be a strength exercise like weight lifting, an endurance
sport like walking or biking, or a flexibility program such as
yoga. A base exercise should be accessible and portable.
You need to be able to do it anywhere with a minimum of
equipment. Next you need to find ways to supplement your
base exercise with exercise from the other 2 categories. If
you choose to bike (endurance), then you might choose to
lift weights (strength) and try yoga (flexibility). You should
also occasionally try other exercises in place of your base,
if you’re a runner, get in the pool or on a bike from time to
time.
After you figure out what you want to try, you now need to
figure out where you should do it. Explore your options.
Area parks, trail systems, gyms, your neighborhood, or
that unused room are options. In fact, you should plan on
using them all. Variety can help keep your program fresh.
Next you should identify some training partners. If you are
scheduled to meet someone, you are more likely to follow
through. Different exercises in different places with
different people are sure ways to sustain and enjoy your
exercise program.
Multi task if you can. Watch television or listen to music on
the treadmill. Bird watch or hunt mushrooms while walking
in the woods. Talk with the kids while bike riding. You can
meal plan or contemplate your landscaping on a run. In
the end, the key to sustaining your exercise program is
careful planning and thought. Find a goal, keep a diary,
and follow through.
John D. Riley MD, MPH
April 24, 2005
hoosier housecalls
your physical health through increased strength,
endurance, and flexibility. Exercise can also improve your
mental and spiritual health by clearing space in which you
can reenergize and refocus. We'll get back to the Zen of
exercise later. For an exercise program to be successful,
it has to be sustainable and enjoyable. You have to
develop techniques to get out the door daily and to keep it
fresh. And lastly, you should start low and increase the
exercise load slowly. Pushing yourself hard out the gate
leads to burn out, frustration and injury
Any exercise program needs to address the 3 components
of physical health: strength, endurance, and flexibility.
This can be accomplished in 30 minutes a day. The first
step is to decide what should be you base exercise. It can
be a strength exercise like weight lifting, an endurance
sport like walking or biking, or a flexibility program such as
yoga. A base exercise should be accessible and portable.
You need to be able to do it anywhere with a minimum of
equipment. Next you need to find ways to supplement your
base exercise with exercise from the other 2 categories. If
you choose to bike (endurance), then you might choose to
lift weights (strength) and try yoga (flexibility). You should
also occasionally try other exercises in place of your base,
if you’re a runner, get in the pool or on a bike from time to
time.
After you figure out what you want to try, you now need to
figure out where you should do it. Explore your options.
Area parks, trail systems, gyms, your neighborhood, or
that unused room are options. In fact, you should plan on
using them all. Variety can help keep your program fresh.
Next you should identify some training partners. If you are
scheduled to meet someone, you are more likely to follow
through. Different exercises in different places with
different people are sure ways to sustain and enjoy your
exercise program.
Multi task if you can. Watch television or listen to music on
the treadmill. Bird watch or hunt mushrooms while walking
in the woods. Talk with the kids while bike riding. You can
meal plan or contemplate your landscaping on a run. In
the end, the key to sustaining your exercise program is
careful planning and thought. Find a goal, keep a diary,
and follow through.
John D. Riley MD, MPH
April 24, 2005
hoosier housecalls
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