How Much Exercise Do You Need?

Posted on by TP Mechanical Contractors

Presented by TP Mechanical | Provided by HORAN

Personal trainer helping woman at gymWhen it comes to physical activity, any exercise is better than none, and a lot is better than a little. Physical activity is anything that gets your body moving, but messages promoting exercise often lack a strict definition of the amount of exercise needed to attain health benefits. In the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concluded that adults need two types of physical activity each week to improve overall health: aerobics and strength training. HHS recommends:

  • Two and a half hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week and two or more days a week of muscle-strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups;
  • One hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week and two or more days a week of muscle-strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups; or
  • Two or more days a week of an equivalent mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups.

Yoga people training and meditating in warrior pose outside by bModerate-intensity aerobic activities include brisk walking, water aerobics, bicycling slower than 10 mph, ballroom dancing or gardening. Vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise includes jogging, running, swimming and bicycling faster than 10 mph. Major muscle groups include legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms.

Exercises can be completed in as little as 10-minute intervals, while still providing health benefits.

However, keep in mind that these numbers are just the minimum recommendations. Older adults are advised to perform additional physical activity. Moreover, all adults will gain greater health benefits for performing any physical activity above the minimum recommendations.

 

Battling January Gym Crowds

Posted on by TP Mechanical Contractors

Presented by TP Mechanical | Provided by HORAN

For those who make it a New Year’s goal to exercise more, working out in January can quickly test their resolve as throngs of people pack the gym with the same goal in mind.

But since half the country lives where it’s too cold to exercise outdoors during winter, how else can wannabe fitness fanatics get their workouts in? Here’s how:

Personal trainer helping woman at gymBe flexible. Whether you like to use the gym at a specific time or go about your workout a certain way, you need to be open to altering your routine. If manageable, try going before work, during your lunch break or later at night. When at the gym, make use of the available machines and free weights while watching occupied equipment to see when it becomes available.

“Work in” exercise between someone else’s sets. While not the most appealing option for many, allowing another member to use a machine while someone is resting between sets is considered good gym etiquette. All you need to do is ask.

Think outside the gym. Avoid the hassles altogether by finding another place to exercise. Rock climbing centers, dance and yoga studios and even bowling alleys can provide you with some level of exercise while you wait for the gym crowds to subside. Even the most frigid locales have some winter days that are nice enough to allow for a jog outside, provided you dress appropriately. And that snow isn’t going to shovel itself!

Health Benefits of Yoga

Posted on by TP Mechanical Contractors

Presented by TP Mechanical | Provided by HORAN

Yoga is a mind and body practice with origins in ancient Indian philosophy. Like other meditative movement practices used for health purposes, various styles of yoga typically combine physical postures, breathing techniques and meditation or relaxation. In the United States, yoga is the sixth-most commonly used complementary health practice, according to a 2007 National Health Interview Survey, and is generally considered safe for most healthy people when practiced under the guidance of a trained instructor. In addition to being a fun and relaxing pastime, yoga has been linked to the following:

Yoga people training and meditating in warrior pose outside by bStress reduction
A number of studies have shown that yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety, and people who practice yoga regularly frequently self-report they are sleeping better and experiencing lower levels of stress. Yoga practice has been demonstrated to reduce the levels of cortisol—the stress hormone. Most yoga classes end with a savasana, or relaxation pose.

Improved fitness
Practicing yoga can lead to improved balance, flexibility, range of motion and strength. These gains mean practitioners are less likely to injure themselves performing other physical tasks.

Management of pain and chronic conditions
If you’re already injured or suffering from chronic illness, research shows that yoga postures, meditation or a combination of the two can reduce pain for people who have cancer, multiple sclerosis, auto-immune diseases, hypertension, arthritis, back and neck pain and other chronic conditions. Yoga can also help reduce risk factors for developing chronic diseases, such as heart disease and high blood pressure.