The Most Essential Types of Exercise
It is no secret that exercise is one of the keys to good health. However, the problem with a lot of people who try to exercise is that they tend to limit their routine to one or two types of exercises. Some only do what they enjoy, and then just ignore the others. In this article, we will discuss the most essential kinds of exercises that you should be doing.
- Aerobic Exercises
Aerobic exercises are among the most important types of exercises that you shouldn’t skip. Aerobics is effective for making your heart rate and breathing faster—giving your heart and lungs a good workout. When done regularly, it could also improve endurance.
One sign that you need more aerobic exercises is that you’re finding yourself out of breath every time you walk up a flight of stairs. Through this type of exercise, you’ll be able to condition both your heart and lungs, as well as supply sufficient blood to make your muscles work effectively.
Some of the specific health benefits that this can bring include blood pressure regulation, blood sugar level reduction, elimination of body fat, boosting mood, as well as lowering the risk for stroke, Type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, and breast and colon cancer. It is recommended to perform 150 minutes of aerobic exercises per week.
- Strength Training Exercises
As people get older, muscle mass may be lost. Hence, strength training is recommended to build it back. Through regular strength training, you will be able to become more confident with your capacity to perform different daily tasks such as gardening and carrying groceries.
Aside from making your muscles stronger, strength training can also promote bone growth, regulate your blood sugar, control your weight, enhance your posture, as well as minimize pain experienced in your joints and lower back.
For best results, it is recommended to have a physical therapist to develop a strength training program that you can execute for about 2 to 3 times per week. The plan will most probably include body weight exercises such as lunges, squats, and push-ups. Moreover, this may also include routines that involve resistance from a band or weight machine.
- Stretching exercises
Stretching exercises can be effective in maintaining flexibility. As people age, it is normal for muscles and tendons to lose flexibility. When this happens, they won’t be able to function effectively.
In addition, this can also increase your risk for muscle pain and damage, cramps, joint pain, and strain. Once you lose flexibility, you will find it difficult to accomplish simple tasks such as bending down to reach for something. This is the reason, you should never overlook this important type of exercise.
By stretching regularly, you will be able to make your muscles longer, improve your range of motion, and minimize your risk of getting injured. We would recommend you to perform this type of exercise on a daily basis or for about 3 to 4 times each week.
Start with dynamic stretches which involve repetitive motion such as marching in place. Doing so will get blood and oxygen to the muscles of your body.
After doing your dynamic stretches, perform static stretches for the various parts of your body such as hip flexors, calves, hamstrings, muscles of the shoulders, neck, and lower back, as well as quadriceps.
- Balance Exercises
Basically, improving your balance can help you feel steadier and prevent frequent falls. Balance exercises become more important as you become older—when your inner ear, leg muscles, vision, and joints become weaker.
Some of the balance-focused exercises that you can perform include yoga and tai chi. Even if you don’t experience balancing problems, it is still a good idea to perform this regularly so you won’t have this kind of issue when you get older.
Aside from going to the gym to have a trainer who can help you with balance exercises, you may also go to a physical therapist who can determine your balance abilities and recommend certain exercises that will improve your current areas of weaknesses.
One of the most common types of balance exercises include standing on one foot. Depending on your needs, your physical therapist may also prescribe exercises that can boost your joint flexibility and strengthen your leg muscles.
While these types of exercises can help you stay active, healthy, and feel great, it is equally important to ensure that you have a healthy diet that can provide all the essential nutrients that you need.
