Skip to main content

3 Simple Exercises To Improve Your Health

In a recent study of older adults, walking at least 3 miles per hour correlated to better heart health and lower rates of coronary disease. The speed correlates to walking half a mile in 10 minutes, with the exertion equaling about a 40-60% heart rate usage during the trial. Those walking the same distance at a slower pace, or walking at the same rate for a shorter distance, were not found to have any significant improvement in their health.
In a similar study conducted with sedentary adults, improvements in health were reported with as little as two minutes of walking every hour. This study didn't adjust for any other criteria other than to not be completely sedentary. Those who change their totally sedentary ways reported reductions in other issues such as neck and back issues related to prolonged periods of sitting combined with poor posture.

A third study, conducted a few years ago, had reviewed the benefits of a quick run and it's overall health effects. The study concluded that a daily five-to-ten minute run was effective at reducing the risk of heart disease and maintaining cardiovascular endurance at a moderate walking pace. The spike in metabolic rate for this short duration allowed for longer duration of moderate activity such as hiking, gardening, or swimming to be effective.

To summarize, our 3 simple exercises to improve your health:

  1. Walking at least 3 mph for 10 minutes daily
  2. Walking 2 minutes every hour
  3. Run for 5-10 minutes daily
Need help with your walking or running form? Is it a challenge to walk or do you experience discomfort when walking? Give me a  call at 240-630-0298 or email justin@rockvillepersonaltraining.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular Posts

Fiber for FItness (or just fitting into clothes)

The average American diet simply does not have enough fiber. White enriched flour has almost no fiber content. The most popular veggies are tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, and cucumbers, which have almost no fiber content (or vitamin content for that matter). Fiber helps regulate the digestive system (especially soluble fiber) by moving lipids (i.e. fats) through the blood stream and helping regulate sugar absorption. Insoluble fiber helps move bulk through the intestines, easing constipation and maintaining healthy acid levels. You should also try to manage the sugar and fiber intake, especially for weight loss. Less sugar equals fewer calories which always contributes to weight loss. Check out the chart below for examples Other great ideas are some of the whole fruit smoothies such as Bolthouse Farm products which use whole fruits and not juices. Fiber in your diet is an easy way to lose weight without making huge changes, so get started!
1 comment
Continued »

Body weight, reexamined...

The constant battle with the scale can be unending and unnerving. Before you even consider using it as your guide to a healthy weight, you should really consider the alternatives: Body fat percentage : this is the most accurate measure of health and fitness. It means a low weight or lean person can have too much body fat and still have the potential for many ailments associated with being "overweight" including Type II diabetes and osteoporosis, for example. A heavier person with normal body fat percentage would actually be better off. Technology allows us to measure body fat percentage through a bioelectric resistance pad, which are those silver pads you can find on some scales. Make sure you purchase that kind of scale because it really appraises you of true progress- more lean tissue and less fat. See how you fall out on the chart below: Waist-to-Hip Ratio: this is another effective way to measure how much fat has accumulated around the abdomen. As a general rule
Post a Comment
Continued »

Exercise- Some Motiviation Required

It requires some thought in to why we do and don't do things. Exercise was not really much expected of the average person when there was so much labor to do around the home and job. Our evolution from labor based to service based industries has created a need for us to generate time for activity. Hence- our need for motivation. Exercise in ancient Greece, for example, was an ingrained part of the religion and culture. The Gymnasium was dedicated to physical perfection, but also developed into a meeting place of philosophers and educators. In some ways, exercise is a motivator today for people to look attractive, impress their friends, potential friends, or just to make people notice them. Vanity can motivate. Sometimes, it's just about pride. The thought of having to buy new clothes to make room for more of you is just not pleasant (especially when you see the selection available). In fact, some studies have demonstrated that monetary incentives have helped people lose
Post a Comment
Continued »