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Beginners Guide
To Exercise
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Physical exercise refers to any bodily activity that improves and maintains physical fitness and overall health. It is performed for strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, increasing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, and for enjoyment as well. Regular physical exercise boosts the immune system, and protects against heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. It also improves mental health and helps prevent depression. |
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Regular exercise offers physical and emotional benefits to everyone who participates.
Beginners exercising for the first time, or people returning to activity after an absence, are advised to take several steps before beginning their exercise program.
Get Ready - The first step to any workout routine is to evaluate your fitness according to the physical activity you have chosen. It is always wise to consult a doctor before beginning an exercise program. Anyone with major health risks should get medical clearance.
Fitness Definitions - Be aware of some terms, which you are likely to encounter: |
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Aerobic /
Cardiovascular Activity:
These exercises
are tiring enough to speed up your breathing and heart rate for the
time being. Running, cycling, walking, swimming, and dancing fall in
this category.
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Flexibility
Training or Stretching:
This type of
workout increases the range of motion of joints.
Age and
inactivity tend to cause muscles, tendons, and ligaments to
shorten over time. However, stretching and warming up are not
synonymous. In fact, stretching cold muscles and joints can make
them prone to injury. |
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Strength, Weight, or Resistance Training:
This type of exercise is aimed at improving the strength and
function of muscles. Specific exercises are done to strengthen
each muscle group. Weight lifting, push-ups, and exercising with
stretchy resistance bands are examples of resistance training
activities. |
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Set:
This term refers to repeating the same exercise for a certain
number of times. |
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Repetition or "Rep": This refers to
the number of times you perform an exercise during a set. |
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Warm
up: This is the act of preparing your
body for the stress of exercise. Warm-up movements increase
blood flow, which in turn heats up muscles and joints. |
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Cool
Down: This is the less-strenuous
exercise you do, to cool your body down after the more intense
part of your workout. Before
beginning, experts recommend three different types of
exercise for overall physical fitness. |
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Cardiovascular Activity: Start by
walking or running, for continuous 20-30 minutes, four to five
times a week. Make sure you can carry on a basic level of
conversation without being too breathless. |
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Strength Conditioning: Start by doing
one set of exercises targeting each of the major muscle groups.
When you think you can handle more, gradually increase either
the weight, the number of repetitions, or number of sets. To
maximize the benefits, do strength training at least twice a
week. Never work the same body part two days in a row. |
Flexibility Training: Such training
recommends doing slow, sustained static stretches for three to
seven days every week that last for 10-30 seconds. |
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