Feel Better Naturally - Aerobic & Strength Training

I know we've talked about the benefits of exercise before (if you missed it, check it out here) but now I want to give you some more details on suggested amounts and actual types of activity you can do! 😊 

The Mayo Clinic recommends 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week. Moderate aerobic exercise includes things such as brisk walking, swimming, and mowing the lawn. 

As a general goal, you should aim for at least 30 minutes of activity every day. If you want to lose weight, or meet a specific goal, you may need to exercise more if you have the time. Another important thing to consider is your time spent sitting. If you can reduce your sitting time, you reduce your risks of metabolic problems! 

If you don't have the time to add 30 minutes of exercise a day, that's ok! You can break up the amount in whatever way you see fit, such as a ten minute walk in the morning, doing household chores, and another walk later on. Whatever you can do - the important part is making regular physical activity a part of your lifestyle. 

The Mayo Clinic also recommends doing strength training a couple times a week. Strength training can include anything from weight machines to kayaking or rock climbing. While the aerobic activities will help maintain your fitness levels and toning, the strength training will help you build muscle mass as well. 

Just like there are many different kinds of aerobic activities, there are also strength training options for every fitness levels! There are many strength building exercises that can be done with little to no equipment, including push-ups and situps, ab crunches, squats, and stairs. There are also a number of activities that can be done with a set of resistance tubes, as well as free-weights. Feel free to use the lowest weight amount you feel comfortable with - you want your muscles to be tense and worked, but not to the point where you wear yourself out too much, or pull a muscle and cause yourself pain. 

Here's a link to videos showing specific strength exercises you can do, for any fitness level! Give some a try and find the ones that work best for you. If you have any others that you regularly do, feel free to share them so others can try them too!