There’s a saying, “Use it or lose it.” That’s pretty much why exercise is good for you. But that’s just the short answer. The details of what actually happens in your body are truly amazing and, I think, super motivating. Here’s the the rest of the story you won’t want to miss! [This article is going to motivate you to exercise more. So here’s the obligatory, but important, cautionary note. If you are going to start an exercise program, you should have the OK from your doctor first to make sure that you don’t have any potential heart or other health issues.] How Exercise Makes You Stronger and Healthier The very first day that you start your exercise program, you will be healthier than you were yesterday. Why? Because your body immediately responds to the exercise by building new cells and tissues to support that exercise. It gets ready to better handle the exercise you will do tomorrow. Isn’t that amazing!? There are several marvelous ways that your body changes when you begin a consistent aerobic exercise program. All of the improvements your body makes increases your VO2 Max, which is a measurement of of your fitness level. Specifically, VO2 Max measures the volume of oxygen a person can consume in one minute exercising at maximum exertion. Here are the incredible changes you’ll see in your body: Heart Blood Vessels Red Blood Cells Cellular Level Muscles Your VO2 Max If you want to test your VO2 max, a simple way to do this is to perform the Rockport Walking Fitness Test. It is well regarded as an accurate way to measure your VO2 max. If you can’t get your heart rate above 120 with fast walking, here is a similar jogging test. (Again these tests should only be done with your doctor’s approval.) What Kind of Exercise is Best? The best kind of exercise is the kind you do everyday for 30 minutes, whether consecutive minutes or broken up throughout the day. You should aim for a target heart rate of 55-85% of your max heart rate. Here’s the formula to calculate your maximum heart rate: Maximum heart rate = 208 - (0.7 X your age in years) Example: If you are 40 years old, then your maximum heart rate = 208 -(0.7 X 40)= 180. So it doesn’t matter if you walk or run, bike or swim, play tennis or rake the yard. As long as you do it everyday and get your heart pumping you will make yourself healthier every day. The only advantage that running has over walking is that you can burn more calories in a shorter period of time. But, the advantage of brisk walking is that it is easier on your joints than running. So just choose whichever activity you like better, and go for it! Another thing to keep in mind is that you have to stop in the middle of your exercise, don’t fret. As long as you finish it later, it’s fine. You can do 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening. Everyone has time for that right? My soon to be released book on healthy living will have more information on healthy exercise. In the meantime, all you need is a pair of sneakers and you’re good to go. Vary your exercise every so often for a new muscular challenge and also for fun. Here are some other aerobic activities you can try: biking | 有这样一句俗语，“不常使用，就失去。”就很好地说明了为什么运动对你有好处。但这只是句简短的回答。运动让你身体里实实在在变化着的细节是令人惊奇的，我认为，非常激励人。这里有你绝不愿错过的其他的信息！ 运动怎样让你更加强壮和健康 当开始坚持一个有氧运动计划时，你的身体以一些惊人的方式发生改变。所有的身体状况上的改善将增加你的最大摄氧量，而最大摄氧量是测量你的健康水平的一个标准。具体来说，最大摄氧量测量的是一个人在一分钟运动中的最大耗氧量。 这些就是你将在自己身上看到的难以置信的改变： 心脏 血管 红细胞 细胞水平 肌肉 你的最大摄氧量 什么方式的运动最好？ 最大心率=208-(0.7X你年龄的年数） 例子：如果你40岁，那么你的最大心率=208-(0.7 X 40)= 180 所以，无论你是走还是跑，是骑自行车还是游泳，是打网球还是用耙理庭院，都没有关系。只要你每天做，让你的心脏自由跳动，你会每一天变得更健康一点。比起步行，跑步的唯一优势是能让你在更短的一段时间里消耗更多的卡路里。但是比起跑步，快走的优势是它对于关节来说更为轻松。所以只要选择你更喜欢些的运动，去做吧！ 另外你需铭记在心，当不得不在运动中停下来时，不要为此苦恼。只要你能稍后完成它，就可以了。你可以早晨和晚上各运动15分钟。这样每个人都有时间运动了，不是吗？ 我将发行的那本关于健康生活的书中会提供更多关于健康运动的信息。与此同时，你所需要的一切仅仅是一双穿着行动方便的胶底运动鞋。偶尔让运动的内容多样化，这将既是一项新的肌肉挑战，也是一种乐趣。这里是一些你可以尝试的其他有氧运动： * 骑自行车 |
