How much exercise should you be doing and what kind ?
How much exercise should you be doing and what kinds of exercise?
According to The World Health Organisation, 18 – 64 year olds should do 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise each week as a minimum (or a combination of the two). As well as this, muscle-strengthening activities should be performed on 2 or more days in the week.
For adults over the age of 65 the recommendation is the same, however if you suffer from poor mobility then you should add balance exercises in order to prevent falls on 3 or more days of the week. When your health deteriorates and you cannot meet the recommended weekly requirements, then you are advised to be as physically active as your body will allow.
Type of activities
- Vary your activities throughout the week.
Make sure that you have time to fit them in to your schedule easily so that they don’t become a burden and choose sports that you enjoy.
We suggest a combination of moderate intensity training, high intensity training and strength and conditioning as they all offer different health benefits. The goal is to improve cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness and promote overall health.
- Moderate intensity training / endurance
Moderate intensity exercise is great for your health and fitness and also kind to your muscles and joints. Here are some popular exercises that can be performed at a moderate intensity: walking, dancing, cycling, swimming, Nordic walking, aqua aerobics. You can measure the intensity of your workout using your heart rate. During moderate intensity exercise you should use 50-70% of you max heart rate (calculated by 220- age).This is the maximum number of times your heart should beat per minute during exercise.
- HIIT (High intensity interval training)
This is short high intensity or high effort burst of activity (sprint) followed by a period of recovery (light exercise) and then repeated. HIIT can be performed in many sports such as running, swimming, cycling, walking, rowing, or on a cross trainer. For example, you could sprint for 60 seconds; rest for 90 seconds and then repeat four times. HIIT is great for you if you have a busy routine as it doesn’t take long to complete and the benefits are great. A report by the daily telegraph says that just 12 minutes of exercise per week is enough to improve your health if you are overweight'.
The benefits of high intensity training are:
- Weight loss
- Cardiovascular improvements
- Reduced blood pressure
- Improve insulin sensitivity
- Better aerobic and anaerobic fitness
Muscle strengthening;
A strength exercise is one that makes your muscles work harder than usual which helps to increase the size, strength, power and endurance of your muscles. This in turn can help to minimise joint pain, help with balance, and maintain bone density. To perform these exercises, you can either use your own body weight or you can perform exercises against a resistance. Exercises include: weight lifting, heavy duty gardening, climbing stairs, working with resistance bands, climbing hills, cycling, dancing, common exercises such as sit-ups, squats, lunges and push-ups, yoga and pilates. We recommend 8-12 repetitions of each exercise.
For the older population and those with poor balance, the following exercises can help prevent falls by improving leg strength, balance and coordination: tai chi, yoga, dance, hiking.
To improve flexibility we recommend regular stretching. This will help your joints to maintain movements and can also help with posture and reduce aches and pains.
It is important to always build up your exercise regime slowly. Ensure you maintain proper form throughout your training to avoid injury and use a combination of strengthening and conditioning as well as cardiovascular training. You need to look after your joints and muscles. To be on the cautious side, we don’t recommend HIIT for the older population as there is uncertainty about it’s effect on heart attacks and strokes. If you have any concerns or would like to discuss your training with us in more detail then please give us a call or pop in to the clinic.
Sources:
http://www.bupa.co.uk/health-information/directory/h/high-intensity-interval-training
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/44399/1/9789241599979_eng.pdf
https://www.acsm.org/docs/brochures/high-intensity-interval-training.pdf
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/strength-and-flexibility/Pages/strength-flexibility-training.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Lowimpact.aspx
http://www.livestrong.com/article/536331-what-kinds-of-exercises-are-considered-low-intensity/