Get Moving Safely & Effectively

Health & Wellness • N E W S L E T T E R •

Get Moving Safely and Effectively

4. Exercise can help boost your energy level. Physical activity helps deliver more oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and can improve the efficiency of your heart and lungs, thus improving your overall energy level. 5. Exercise promotes better sleep. Regular physical exercise can help you fall asleep faster and have longer periods of deep sleep, allowing you to wake up more rested and alert. The Amer i can Hear t Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise per week to help increase your overall heart and lung health. Moderate exercise is when you get your heart rate 50-60% above your resting heart rate. Some examples of moderate exercise are walking 2 miles in 30 minutes, biking 5miles in 30minutes, running 1.5 miles in 15 minutes, and dancing for 30 minutes. Moderate exercise should feel somewhat hard. You should notice an increase in breathing

Exercise is defined as planned and structured physical activity with the purpose of training a specific part of the body. So how much do you really know about exercise and why it is so important? Exercise has many proven health benefits: 1. Exercise can help control weight to keep your body mass index (BMI) in a healthy range. Physical activity helps you burn calories, and the more intense the activity is, the more calories you burn. 2. Exercise can help combat and control health conditions. It will help you increase your good cholesterol (HDL), control or prevent type 2 diabetes, eliminate risk of heart attack and stroke, manage depression, control arthritis, and decrease your risk of falling. 3. Exercise can help improve your mood. Physical activity stimulates the release of hormones that leave you feeling relaxed and happy.

rate, work up a sweat after 10 minutes, and you should still be able to carry on a conversation, but you should not be able to sing. Vigorous exercise is when you get your

As your tolerance for exercise increases, you can work your way up to 30minutes at a time and eventually progress to the recommended amount of activity per week. When you are starting a strength training program, you should start with 1 set of 15 repetitions of each exercise. Your muscles should feel tired after 15 repetitions. When you are able to perform 1 set without any muscle fatigue, you can increase to 2 sets, and then to 3 sets. After you can complete 3 sets of 15 without any significant muscle fatigue you can increase the weight and lower your repetitions back down to 1 set of 15. If you follow these guidelines you will be able to improve your strength andmuscle endurance withminimal risk of injury.

heart rate 70-80% above your restingheart rate. Some examples of vigorous exercise include running 1.5 miles in 9 minutes, biking 5 miles in 20 minutes, shoveling snow, or playing basketball. Vigorous exercise should feel tough. Your breathing should be deep and rapid and you should develop a sweat after a few minutes. You should only be able to say a few words at a time without pausing for a breath. Inaddition to regular aerobic exercise, the American Heart Association also recommends moderate to high muscle strengthening activities 2 days per week. This could include using free weights, weight machines at the gym, or body weight strengthening such as pushups or planks.

By Abbey Fecher, DPT

7 Steps to Help You Run Your First 5K 1. Buy a good pair of running shoes. They can be expensive, but they are a lot cheaper than a gym membership or all the doctor’s visits and co-pays you’ll have if you get injured! 2. Throw out the concept of “No pain, no gain.” 4 . Stay hydrated! Even in the cold weather you can get dehydrated. 5. Pick a goal and register for a race! There are

hundreds of 5K races in our area. Pick one with a theme or one that supports a cause that is meaningful to you. If you have a race scheduled, you will be more likely to follow the training program. 6. Find a running buddy! It is much harder to roll over in bed, reset your alarm, and go back to sleep when you have someone counting on you.

Yes, running can be uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t be painful. If you experience pain, please seek medical help. Physical therapy is a great place to start! 3. If you don’t do the workouts, it won’t work! Maybe you have tried before and never reached your goal. But did you follow the program? Did you make time for 3 workouts a week? Did you make it a priority?

7. Lastly, don’t get discouraged! Starting a running program is no easy task, but just remember, you can do it! It will help you make a lasting change to promote a healthy lifestyle!

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