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Regular exercise helps to tone up the heart, lungs and muscles, as well as keeping bones strong to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in later life. It is important to start exercising gently, and then to gradually build up, otherwise you can put your body under excessive strain. If you are in any doubt about your fitness to exercise, have a chat with your doctor. To some extent, the type of exercise is less important than the fact that you actually do some. It is recommended that the ideal amount of exercise is 20 to 30 minutes, five times a week, and that you should exercise to a level which makes you a bit breathless. If you want to start checking your pulse rate during exercise, then aim for 65-70% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) to start with. Your MHR is defined as 220 minus your age, so if you are 44, your MHR would be 176. So initially you would aim to exercise to keep your heart rate at between 115 and 125 per minute. In time you would build up your exercise pulse rate to 75% of MHR. Exercise such as swimming, cycling or walking will help to improve your level of fitness. If you decide you want more and join a gym, then make sure you take expert advice with regard to how to use the different types of equipment, and vary your exercise between muscle building and cardiovascular exercise. A recent addition is Exercise on Prescription, and a growing number of people are benefitting from this. Schemes at local sports centres, such as Concordia in Cramlington, operate for patients who are referred by their GP or practice nurse. Each patient is assessed by a member of the Sports Centre staff and an exercise regime is tailored to their specific needs. People of all ages - and sizes! - have been encouraged by these schemes, and have lost weight and become fitter. |
