The benefits of exercise are endless but here are a few. The basic recommendations for cardiovascular and resistance training are as follows. Cardiovascular - accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderateintensity on most days of the week. Gradual progression of exercise time, frequency and intensity is recommended for best adherence and least injury risk. Resistance/Strength Training - Aim to target each major muscle group two or three times per week using a variety of exercises and equipment on non-consecutive 3 days. Light intensity is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults starting exercise. Two - Four sets of each exercise will help adults improve strength and power. For each exercise 8-12 repetitions improve strength and power, 10-15 repetitions improve strength in middle-age and older persons starting exercise, and 15-20 repetitions improve muscular endurance. A repetition is one full run through of an exercise including both the lifting and lowering phases. A set is a group of consecutive reps typically followed by a brief rest period (typically 60-90 seconds). vBy Lynn Mueller, Fitness 365 rsen Carpet La 212 Walnut|605.665.2067 Historic Downtown Yankton Laminate |Porcelain |Resilient |Hardwood Want to feel better, have more energy and perhaps even live longer? Then exercising is for you. The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. And the benefits of exercise are yours for the taking, regardless of your age, sex or physical ability. Need more convincing.... Read below. Exercise helps control weight. When you engage in physical activity you burn calories. The more intense the activity the more calories you burn. If you can’t fit in your workout for the day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk up and down the stairs a few more times that day. Even throw in 100 jumping jacks. Keep the body moving. Exercise combats health conditions and diseases. Regular physical activity can help you prevent or manage a wide range of health conditions and diseases. Reduce stress. Have a rough day at the office or are the kids stressing you out? Hit up the fitness center for a quick 30-minute workout. One of the most common mental benefits of exercise is stress relief. So go ahead and get sweaty and boost the body’s ability to deal with existing mental tension. Boost your mood - Exercise helps release endorphins, which create feelings of happiness and euphoria. Studies have shown that exercise can even alleviate symptoms among the clinically depressed. Exercise improves self confidence. Regardless of weight, size, gender, or age, exercise can quickly elevate a person’s perception of his or her attractiveness. Prevent cognitive decline. It’s true as we get older, our brains get a little hazy. Exercising boosts chemicals in the brain and can even create new brain cells. Lacking energy? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently you have more energy to go about your daily chores. The bottom line... exercise and physical activity are a great way to feel better, gain health benefits and have fun. Let’s be honest here!! You will need patience. You won’t drop 2 jean sizes in one day, you won’t lose 50 lbs in one month, you will miss occasional workouts, you are going to have bad days, your weight will fluctuate up and down, you are human. Nothing worth achieving is ever going to be easy or happen overnight. JUST KEEP GOING. Make exercise a part of your lifestyle. You won’t regret it and when you feel like quitting think about why you started. You must push yourself because no one else is going to do it for you. If it’s important, you will find a way; if it isn’t, you will find an excuse. Challenge yourself! You got to want it for yourself, and ask and tell yourself how bad do you want it. If you want it badly enough you will do it. It’s you against you! No excuses.... We can’t use the excuse I don’t have enough time. We all make time for what we want to do. Someone busier than you is working out right now. HERVOICE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015v7