Health Library ~ Family Medicine in Mullica Hill, NJ

Exercise

Exercise is vital to our good health and ultimate survival. It can help protect you from various diseases such as heart disease, hypertension and diabetes, just to name a few. It can add life to your years, as well as, years to your life.

Most Americans are self-imposed victims of a sedentary lifestyle, i.e. they do not exercise enough. This alone can prevent a person from reaching his or her optimal health. In order to be our best, we must prioritize time for exercise and other good health practices.

Exercise can be of two basic types, cardiovascular and resistance training. Together, they can increase your vitality, stamina and general well-being.

Aerobic exercise primarily strengthens the cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) system. This is done by
walking, jogging, running, rowing, cycling, aerobic, etc. Any exercise that gets to your target heart rate for at least 30 minutes is aerobic in nature. Target heart rate is 80% of your maximal heart rate (220 minus age in years). Aerobic exercise daily is best, but every other day (3-4 times a week) will also help. Aerobic exercise can help you lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, increase endurance and make you feel more vital and alive.

Resistance training is done with your muscles lifting progressively more weight. Usually, it consists of 3 or 4 sets of 10 repetitions of the exercise. This can be done 1-3 times per week. Resistance training can give you shapely muscles, increase strength and give you more efficient muscle function.

Together, cardiovascular (aerobic) and resistance training can go a long way in helping prevent disease. It can also make you feel your best.

Craig M. Wax, DO, LLC of Mullica Hill, NJ provides information on health, nutrition, family medicine, preventive medicine, wellness, natural treatments, alternative medicine, integrative medicine, osteopathic medicine and just plain common sense.