The Fitness Solution
Previous posts and experts all recommend that you exercise. Now, you may be asking, “What do I do?” “How long should I go for?”
Duration
With the exception of athletes in training, most people should partake in 30-45 minutes of low-moderate intensity exercise, five days per week. The bouts can be broken up into sessions that will add up to 30-45 minutes by the end of the day. However, some research has shown that 40 minute bouts will result in the greatest energy increase (I apologize that I cannot find this study anymore, which was published in 2007). Another study shows that participating in lower intensity exercise will result in greater energy-boosting benefits instead of more stenuous activity. Let’s interpret that, now. If you are feeling the mental drain over the daily news of economic doom and gloom, exercise for about 40-45 minutes, at a steady and less intense level (e.g. walk or easy swim, instead of bootcamp class). However, If you feel frustrated and, sometimes even, angry, I recommend one to two sessions per week of moderate to high intensity interval workouts to work the aggression out of your system (e.g. kickboxing class or running on hilly trails). If you are new to exercise (i.e. you haven’t participated in a regular exercise routine since high school–and maybe that might not have counted for much), start with easy strolling for 5-20 minutes, depending on your level, add-on and build-up from there.
Tip: Schedule your workouts in, as you would with your appointments. If it’s scheduled, then you won’t find that you are having to “sacrifice” in order to take care of your health. Schedule a date with your body!
Mode
What type of exercise to do is a simple recommendation. Do whatever it is you know you can enjoy doing and will stick to doing. Why would you say you want to commit to running if you don’t enjoy it?
If you’re concerned about a greater economic burden and expense of exercise classes, but feel the need to take classes in order to exercise regularly, check out your local Parks & Recreation schedule. Many departments have fun classes like aqua aerobics, dance, volleyball, basketball, and so much more. Parks & rec classes are, on average, about 30% the cost of classes at boutique fitness centers (about $3-$5/class vs. $12-$25/class). Also, check http://www.meetup.com/ for health and fitness enthusiasts in your area that share similar interests, where you can find exercise classes and workout partners for zero dollars.
Please feel free to post any questions, if you need any other guidance with regard to your fitness regimen.
Tags: exercise and energy, exercise prescription, exercise recommendation, fitness, fitness regime, fitness regimen, meetup.com, park and rec
