Basic Exercise Recommendations

If you are wanting to make sure you are getting the right sort of exercise for your health it is important to ensure that you give the following areas of fitness equal consideration:

These are:

Cardiovascular     Exercise for the heart and lungs.  Improves your endurance.

Strength              Builds muscle mass and prevents age related muscle loss

Flexibility            The ability to move your joints within their normal range of motion

Balance              Confidence to  be steady and avoid falls

The following guidelines show the minimum levels you need to do to avoid developing chronic conditions:

Type	How long	Times a week	Exertion Level	Examples
Cardio	30mins a day or	5	moderate	Raise heart rate, break into a sweat but carry on a conversation
	20mins a day	3	Vigorously intense	As above but breathing heavily, and cannot say 3 words in a row
Strength	8-10 exercises	2	8-15 repetitions of each exercise	Wall push up, Squat, Row, Lateral raise, Lat pull, down, Calf rasie, Abdominal, Hamstring ball roll or core exercises
Balance	10 minutes	3	Have something sturdy to hold and a sturdy chair to sit on if required.	Single leg balance, Heel toe walking.
Flexibility	5-10min	2-3	To the point of tension not pain	Hamstring, Quad, Calf, Chest  and back stretches.

 The recomendations above are the minimum you should try to achieve each week as the more you do the greater the benefits.  A good target would be to look at doing twice the recomendations.  However if these targets seem to much at the momment try and at least do half of the recomendation as you will be getting a worthwhile benefit.

Weight loss requires more than these guidelines, a miniminum of 90minutes of cardio a day has been suggested as a target.

 

If you have a chronic condition, your needs will differ, and your exercise physiologist can help you make suitable adjustments.