Category: Exercise

We recommend at least 30 minutes of brisk walking on most days of the week, but you can substitute any of the following activities. They are all considered moderate exercise—defined by the U.S. Surgeon General as anything that burns an average of 4 to 7 calories per minute. Washing and waxing a car for 45-60 minutes. Washing windows or floors for 45-60 minutes. Playing volleyball for 45 minutes. Gardening for 30-45 minutes, Wheeling self in wheelchair for 30-40 minutes. Bicycling 5 miles in 30 minutes. Dancing fast (social) for 30 minutes. Raking leaves for 30 minutes. Water aerobics for 30 minutes. Swimming laps for 20 minutes. Basketball (a game) for 15-20 minutes. Bicycling 4 miles in 15 minutes. Jumping rope for 15 minutes. Shoveling snow for 15 minutes. Stair-walking for 15 minutes. Source; Surgeon General’s report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996...

In addition to pedometers, there are numerous other accessories to help you track your activity and measure your results. While you don’t need any of them, some might help with that most important component of exercise: motivation. Walking speedometer. As if knowing how far you’re going wasn’t enough, now you can track your speed and even your position on the globe. Some walking speedometers include globa! positioning system (GPS) technology, which maps your location. Most attach to your shoe. Prices vary considerably. A basic model will cost about $125; one with GPS can be upwards of $200, Heart rate monitor. Most look like wristwatches, but instead of telling time, they tell your heart rate, beeping when it gets too high or too low. Some models also calculate calories burned as you exercise. Cost is $60 and up. For a good selection check out www.heart-rate-monitor.com. Personal pulse meter. The low-cost alternative to the heart rate monitor, this gadget—worn on your wrist...

Every time your foot strikes the ground, your muscles and joints receive a load roughly 1.5 times your body weight. To prevent injuries, walk in place for a few minutes to warm up your muscles, then do these four stretches before setting out. After stretchingone side, switch sides and repeat. Stretch several times on each side. 1. Calf stretch Stand about 2 feet from a wall and place your hands on the wall. Extend your right leg about 2 feet behind you. Bending your left leq, lean forward while keeping your right heal on the ground 2. Achilles stretch Place your right leg in front of the left and bend the left knee toward the ground, keeping your heel on the ground. This stretches the Achilles tendon and the soleus muscle,which lies underneath the calf 3. Hamstring stretch Place your left foot on a curb or bench. Keeping the heel of your right foot on the floor, slowly lean forward, without rounding your back, until you feel the stretch in your hamstring (the back of the leg from...

Pedometers have gone upscale. Today they can read your pulse, estimate the calories you’ve burned, time your activity, and estimate your speed, as well as provide music to move you along on your walk. With literally hundreds of brands and styles out there, it can be daunting to choose the right one. Here are six of our favorites, All require you to enter your stride length, which is easy enough to do. Just walk 10 steps, measure the distance in feet, and divide by 10. Brand Features Price BotlyTrendsFull Function Pedometer Automatic start/stop records time only while in motion. Calculates average speed. Counts number of steps up to 99,999, Belt clip. $ 21 Brunton’sDigital Pedometer with Alarm Calorie counter. Built-in panic alarm. Backlit digital crystal display. $ 30 New LifestylesDigiwalker SW-401 SW series often used by researchers in scientific studies. Distance meter. Security strap. $ 30 Oregon Scientific’sPE316FM FM radio. Digital 12/24 hour clock. Miniature earphone...

To get the most from aerobic exer- On the Plan we want cises such as walking, the Ameri- you to build you way up to walking at can College of Sports Medicine least 30 minutes a day (60 if you need suggests maintaining a heart rate to lose weight) on most days. On top of between 60 and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate for at least 20 minutes of exercise. Your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your that you’ll look for opportunities to fit walking into the rest of your day. Before you begin, find out where you age. Unless you’re wearing a heart- stand now in terms of aerobie fitness. rate monitor, you’ll need to stop Walk a mile (that’s four laps around a exercising to take your pulse. To do high school track). Record how long it it quickly, count the pulses in 10 takes you and what your heart rate, or seconds, then multiply by 6. There’s pulse, is immediately after you finish. no need to do this every time you exercise, just now and then to make sure...

No matter what type of exercise you choose, remember that the goal isn’t to add exercise to your life but to make it a permanent part of your life, along with eating, sleeping, and brushing your teeth. So build walks into your schedule and let your family and friends know those outings aren’t expendable. If you’re having trouble fitting walking—or any other exercise—into your day, make it the first thing you do in the morning so it won’t get “bumped” by work, chores, or other activities. On days when you don’t walk, don’t just sit there—rake the lawn, wash the car, pop in an exercise video, or go for a bike ride. Remember, the goal is to be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week, Once your body gets used to moving, you may actually start to crave exercise because it simply feels good. People who exercise sleep better and have more energy and a brighter outlook on life. And there’s another benefit: Even one walk or workout...

Variety is the spice of life, and exercise comes in as many varieties as you could want. Whether it’s walking, tai chi, tennis, gardening, or swimming, the key is to find something you enjoy and keep doing it. (Having a few options to choose from so you can vary your routine helps.) Here are a few fun, inexpensive ideas to try: Exercise Balls One of the hottest exercise trends to hit the country in recent years involves nothing more than a brightly colored, oversized plastic ball. Physical therapists have been using these giant balls for years; finally they’re available to the rest of us. The balls are used in a variety of exercise moves and routines to improve vour balance, coordination, strength, flexibility, and posture, primarily by helping you strengthen your body’s core muscles: the abdomen, back, and sides, The balls trump other exercise routines for numerous reasons, says Liz Applegate, Ph_D., author of Bounce Your Body Beautiful: Sia Weeks to a Sexier, Firmer Body...

Chances are it’s been years since you could touch your toes. You’re not alone. The trouble with losing your flexibility as you get older is that you lose your full range of motion, and that poses a problem if you want to be active (or, frankly, even if you don’t). Flexibility protects you against injuries and pain. It can also help you maintain good posture, But it won’t happen naturally, given today’s sedentary lifestyles. You have to work at it. The Clean-and-Stretch Series Here’s a great stretching routine that’s so simple you can even do it in the shower. Just make sure you have a slip-free shower mat and you’re careful not to fall. If you’re at all unsteady in the shower, or you get dizzy, do these stretches on dry land. 1. Calf stretch Stand several inches from the back wall of the shower (or another wall). Place your forearms on the wail, Extend your right leg about 2 feet behind your left. Lean forward, bending your left knee and keeping...

For some of these exercises you’ll need a pair of light hand weiahts. (The dumbbells pictured are 8-pound weights.) Perform each exercise 8 to 12 times (on each side of the body, where appropriate) or as noted. Work through the exercises with minimal rest in between. Then rest for three to five minutes, and perform the entire routine one more time. To protect your back and make sure you’re working the right muscles, keep your stornach muscles tensed throughout each exercise 1. Lunge Muscles worked: quadriceps, hamstrings, and buttocks Take a giant step forward with your right foot, planting the foot firmly in front of you. As you step, keeping your upper body straight, bend your right leg at a 90-degree angle. (Don’t extend your knee past your toes.) You’ll and up on the ball of your left foot. Hold the position briefly, then press back up to starting position. 2. Bent row Muscles worked: back and posterior shoulders For this exercise you’ll need a bench or...