Aug 03 2011
How much exercise is enough?
Most of the time when I meet with clients, they tell me that they want to be more active, or to exercise more often. These are broad, undefined goals which actually are extremely difficult to reach. If we don’t know exactly how much exercise, or what type of exercise we want in our life, how will we know when we’ve reached that goal? Even more important: why is exericse important to you?
There are typically three types of exercise goals:
- exercise to improve health, such as reduce risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, or improve blood sugar levels.
- exercise for weight loss
- training for a competitive event, such as running a 5K race or riding your bike in a 40 mile charity event.
First, decide WHY you want to exercise. Be as specific as possible:
- I want to exercise so that I can wear a smaller dress size.
- I want to exercise so that I don’t run out of breath playing with my grandchildren.
- I want to exercise so that I decrease my risk of developing heart disease.
- I want to run the Maple Leaf 5K in September.
Next, figure out how much and what type of exercise you need to meet this goal. The American College of Sports Medicine publishes the latest exercise guidelines. If your goals are related to your health, talk with your physician about the most appropriate exercise program for you. Even 10-15 minutes of activity every day does wonders in improving health. If you need help developing an exercise program, contact me at lynn@lynngrieger.com for individual coaching.
Once you know why exercise is important to you, and the type of exercise program that will help you reach this goal, it’s time to gradually integrate exercise into your daily routine. Start slowly and over time tweak your exercise program until you reach your ultimate goal. Exercise not only will improve your health and help you reach and maintain a healthy weight, it’s also a fun activity you can share with family, and a great way to meet new friends!