Exercise

REMEMBER: See your physician before beginning any exercise program.

Benefits of Exercise:

• Helps you to more effectively manage stress. Biologically, exercise seems to give the body a chance to practice dealing with stress; So instead of reacting strongly to every stressful situation (i.e., tension, headache, anxiety, etc.), the body reacts in a more moderate fashion. Just as the skin forms calluses with repeated contact as a way to protect the skin, exercise can protect the body from environmental stressors.
• Helps to reduce anxiety. (Physically active people have lower rates of anxiety than sedentary people). Exercise can help to relieve the physical signs of tension and anxiety.
• Helps you to relax.

Suggestions

• Perform moderate aerobic exercise as many times per week as possible (everyday if you can) for about 30 minutes each session. Remember, household activities (vacuuming, mowing the lawn, etc. count as physical exercise).
• Do exercises which you enjoy and are easy to perform. This will increase your likelihood of sticking with them.
• Doing exercises/sports with others can be more fun than solitary exercise, and can also act as a great motivator to keep you exercising regularly.
• Exercising in water (like a pool) will have less impact on your bones and ligaments than some other exercises.

Typical exercises include:

Walking, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Cycling, Hiking, Cross-country Skiing, Weight-lifting or Organized sports (hockey, soft-ball, etc.)

Here are some tips to follow when beginning an exercise program.

• If you haven't had a physical examination recently, it would be a good idea to get one prior to beginning any exercise regimen.
• Start slow and pace yourself. Begin your exercise program gradually. After becoming accustomed to a certain level of exercise, increase the level slowly.
• Listen to your body. Occasional minor stiffness in the morning after exercise is to be expected. It is a sign that you are getting into shape. Soreness may be a sign that you overdid it. You may need to cut back a little, so go slow and easy.
• Warm up and cool down. Like an engine on a cool morning, your body needs a chance to warm up. A warm-up gradually prepares your body for exercise. Warming up is especially important for exercise that requires quick bursts of effort, such as basketball or racket sports. Take five minutes before you participate and slowly stretch the muscle groups you will be using. When you finish your workout, your body needs a chance to cool down slowly. This means you should take five minutes at the end of your routine to let your heart gradually return to its resting rate. Keep moving at a slower pace to cool down.
• Overdoing any exercise can do more harm than good. Exercise is good for you, but if you overdo it, you may unknowingly cause harm. The most common injuries are pulled muscles and strained joints and ligaments.