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Exercise makes the body
release chemicals called Endorphins which make you cheerful and fight depression.
Lack of exercise can leave you feeling low and depressed, because of lower level of Endorphins.
Regular exercise, therefore, keeps you in a good mood. Exercise is the most suitable form
of improving physical capabilities and managing weight. People all over the world have
recognized the value of exercises and more and more people are coming forward to get
dividends from these activities.
Exercise keeps you happy and healthy and also gives you psychological satisfaction of
being in good shape
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Scientific method for weight management
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Man needs exercises as he needs air to breathe
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Importance of stronger muscles
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Exercise lowers the resting heart rate
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Exercises improve the blood supply
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Exercises better stress management
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Exercise is the best way to remain trouble free
Aerobics:
Aerobic exercise burns
fat and calories, helps you to lose weight, strengthens your heart muscle, increases your
ability to use oxygen and relieves stress. It is important for everyone to get aerobic
exercise at least three to five times per week for 20 to 60 minutes. To keep your exercise routine fresh and fun, vary your activities
whenever possible. Aerobic exercises are very effective in strengthening the heart and
lungs, strengthening the organ's ability to contract. Stronger contractions means an
improved, stronger blood flow, in turn making a body better equipped for exercise. It is
also a good aid for loosing weight. As beneficial as aerobic exercise is, however, it's
not enough to add muscle and shape to your body.
Not all sport activities provide an effective aerobic workout. If you participate in a
sport where the action is not continuous, or where players are often substituted in play
for short periods of time, you may need more aerobic activity to balance out your fitness
routine or to achieve weight loss.
Aerobic sports include cycling, hiking, running, and tennis. An aerobics class will
improve cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, muscular endurance, muscular strength,
coordination and balance.
Calories per 10 min : Moderate-50; Moderate high-75; High
- 110.
Benefits : Can be done anywhere. Good for body
composition and cardiovascular fitness.
Considerations : High impact aerobics may cause leg
injuries. Low impact aerobics may not raise heart rate. Difficult to measure week-to-week
progress.
Walking:
Walking is the cheapest, easiest and most convenient form of
exercise for all age groups, and can be easily adopted if one has the will-to-do-it. It
accounts for more than half the body muscles and joints, exercises, spinal cord,
shoulders, arms, feet, heart, lungs and brain. Walking helps cultivate relationships,
makes one forget worries, and eases the mind. It aids digestion, stimulates the brain, and
helps the blood flow evenly throughout the body.
Prerequisites for walking:
Wear loose clothes and well fitted canvas shoes.
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Preferably go on a empty stomach or with just a glass of water/lemon juice.
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You can walk in any pace with which you are comfortable.
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Try to be regular in your walks and each walk should at least be more than 15 minutes.
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If you are walking daily then a walk of 5 kms or 45-60 minutes would do.
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Try to walk in the early morning.
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One can walk alone or maybe in a company as per your comfort.
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Brisk walking with a rhythmic movement of arms and feet, coupled with controlled
breathing, enhances the benefits.
How to Walk:
Warm up exercise before commencing walks.
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Maintain an erect posture while walking.
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Inhale deeply to regularize swinging your arms.
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After every 4 steps, inhale deeply, as much as your lungs can take.
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After every 4 steps hold breath. (neither inhaling nor exhaling)
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Start the above cycle again
Walking helps in burning calories. It takes 3500 calories to gain or
loose one pound. Following table shows how walking affects the calories :
Pace
|
Calories per minute
|
Per hour
|
Strolling (1 MPH)
Walking (3 MPH)
Running (5 MPH)
|
2-2.5 calories
4-5 calories
10-11 calories
|
120-150 calories
240-300 calories
600-660 calories
|
Calories per
10 min :
3 mph - 50; 4 mph - 60; 5mph - 95; 5.5 mph - 110;
Benefits: Good for body composition and cardiovascular fitness. Low injury rate and
very safe.
Considerations: Takes longer than other activities to improve cardiovascular
fitness and derive the full benefit. Does little to condition muscles of upper body and
waist.
Running:
Running is good form of Exercise for people of all age
groups, including children and those in the older age group. It involves almost all the
muscles and strengthens them. It has a salubrious effect on the heart and multifarious
advantages.
Those who have adopted it seriously have not only been able to lose weight upto 10 to 12
kilograms in 12 week's time, but have also been able to run a half marathon, that is, 22
kilometres at a good tempo.
Skipping:
Skipping is the ideal form of exercise at home. A rope
of medium thickness about 9 ft long is enough. The ends of the rope are stitched or a knot
at the ends to increase durability. If the rope touches the feet while one is skipping, it
means the rope is too short, if it touches the ground, it is a bit too long.
For the purpose of weight management, the skipping exercise should be done for a longer
period of time with a hop in between-one skip and one jump in a rhythm. Skipping
strengthens the muscles of the legs, abdomen, back and arms with its circular rhythmic
movement.
It is used for developing many other conditional qualities in addition to endurance, like
agility, speed and throwing and jumping power etc.
4 Week Sample Programme for
Skipping:
The skipping programme, when undertaken in the house should be at a place where the height
of the ceiling is more than 10 feet above the ground level. There should no hinderance
from any quarter while the exercise being done.
Beginners can skip continuous for 30 to 90 seconds depending upon their capability. This
can be done 3 to 4 times with a proper lapse of time in between. The rest period can be
reduced slowly as the skipping capacity improves. As one improves, the time for continuous
skipping improves along with the number of sets during a training programme. A sample
training programme is detailed in the table to start with.
A Sample Skipping Programme:
Types of Skipping
|
Rest between Sets
|
Duration of Exercise
|
No. of Sets
|
Training in week
|
Week
|
Two leg
skipping with hop in between
|
30 sec
|
30 to 90 sec
|
3 to 5
|
5 times
|
1
|
Two leg
skipping with hop in between
One leg skipping
Skipping while running
|
30 sec
|
30 to 90 sec
|
4 to 5
|
3 to 5 times
|
2
|
Two leg
skipping with hop
One leg skipping
Skipping while running
Two leg skipping
|
30 sec
|
60 to 90 sec
|
5
|
3 to 5 times
|
3
|
Two legs with
a hop in between
One leg skipping
Skipping and running
One leg skipping
|
30 Sec
|
300 sec
|
6
|
3 to 5 times
|
4
|
Cycling:
People who face problems in adopting other forms of
exercise because of weak joints and excess body weight can take on cycling as a suitable
form of exercise. Not only does cycling give one an opportunity to enjoy nature in the
outskirts of the city, it also involves all the muscles of the legs and strengthens then.
The muscles of the upper body and arms are only used to maintain the correct position when
cycling. Thereafter, it is advisable to add some exercises for the upper body and arms
along with the cycling programme.
Cycling at full speed on a busy road is risky. A circular road with a few openings should
be chosen. Beginners should be careful when taking on a cycling programme. The first few
days of cycling can be taken on only for adopting the body to the new regime. This will
help in you becoming familiar with the route and the environment. It can even be included
into the daily routine. One may use it to get to work or to perform household duties of
fetching the required groceries from the market, depositing telephone and electricity
bills etc.
Cycling in a leisurely manner may not be of much use. The pulse rate must be brought to
the training zone to attain the maximum benefit from exercising. Do not cycle at full
speed at the start. Adapt your body to the rhythm for a few minutes before starting the
work out.
Calories
per 10 min : 5.5 mph-40; 10mph-70; 13 mph-110; 18 mph-145
Benefits : Strengthens leg muscles. Good for body composition and cardiovascular
fitness.
Considerations : Cycling in traffic has risks. Good bicycles are expensive. Most
people pedal too slowly to derive good benefit.
Climbing
stairs:
Calories per 10 min : 7" riser:30 steps/min 1 at a time : 110 40steps/min 1
at a time : 140 ; 40 steps/min 2 at a time : 190
Benefits : Good for body composition and cardiovascular fitness.
Considerations : Too strenuous for some people. Very boring.
Yoga/stretching:
Calories per 10 min : 40 or less
Benefits : Excellent for improving flexibility. No equipment required.
Considerations : No improvement in cardiovascular fitness, reduce body fat or
improve muscle endurance and strength.
Calorie Burner:
Calorie Burner
|
Types of
Exercise
|
Calories burnt
in 1 hour
|
Hours required
to lose 1 kilo
|
Walking
|
256 Cal.
|
30 Hrs.
|
Active Cycling
|
481 Cal.
|
16 Hrs.
|
Swimming
|
641 Cal.
|
12 Hrs.
|
Running
|
770 Cal.
|
10 Hrs.
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Walking Upstairs
|
900 Cal.
|
8.5 Hrs.
|
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