If you exercise regularly, you may lower your risk of a heart attack & stroke. If you’re middle-aged or older & haven’t been exercising regularly or have a chronic health problem, work with your doctor to develop an exercise program. To condition your heart safely:
• Start at a comfortable level of exertion
Try walking five to 10 minutes over a short distance indoors. Increase five minutes a session, as tolerated.
• Schedule regular exercise
Aim for 30 to 60 minutes a day of low- to moderate-intensity physical activity.
• Include variety
Combine three types of exercise — stretching (flexibility), endurance (aerobic) & strengthening (weight training) — & three levels of intensity — warm-up, workout level & cool-down — in each exercise session.
• Cross-train to reduce your risk of injury
Alternate among exercises that emphasize different parts of the body, such as swimming, bicycling & walking.
• Don’t overdo it
Start slowly & build up gradually, allowing time between sessions for your body to rest & recover. & forget the saying “No pain, no gain.” A little muscle soreness when you do something new isn’t unusual, but soreness doesn’t equal pain. If it hurts, stop doing it.
• Increase your physical activity
Even routine activities such as gardening, climbing stairs or washing floors can burn calories & help improve your health, although not at the same level as a structured exercise program. Just keep moving: Walk or bike to the store instead of driving, park farther away at the shopping mall, take the stairs instead of an elevator.
