Many different exercises can improve your health and independence. Whether you do the exercises shown in this chapter or other physical activities that accomplish the same goals, gradually work your way up to include endurance, strength, balance, and stretching exercises.
It’s important to spend about 5 minutes at the beginning and end of your routine to warm up and cool down. Warming up and cooling down give your muscles a chance to get ready to work and gradually return to rest at the end. These “before-and-after” activities help prevent injury and reduce muscle soreness later. Here are a few suggestions:
- Do some light endurance activity first, such as walking for 5 minutes. If you’re going to be walking briskly or running, gradually build up to that pace. At the end of your activity, gradually slow down and let your body cool down.
- Do a few exercises to work the muscles and joints you’ll be using in your activity. For example, if you’re going to be swimming, do a few arm exercises first to warm up your arms and shoulders.
- If you’re going to include stretching exercises as part of your routine, do them afterwards.
Make it Rewarding
Regular endurance exercise has helped Tom stay healthy after major heart surgery:
“At age 45 I had quadruple bypass surgery. I was shocked because I was so young. Those months after my surgery are a blur to me now. After several months of cardiac rehab, I knew my heart health was in my hands. So, now I run regularly at my neighborhood YMCA — around the track in nice weather and on the treadmill during the winter. I admit I was nervous at first to push myself. I worried I might do more harm than good. But, it’s been 12 years and I feel great! This year, I will celebrate my daughter’s graduation
from college, continue to root for the Aggies, and maybe even teach my wife to play golf. I believe exercise has made all of that possible for me.”
How to Improve Your Endurance
Endurance exercises are activities — walking, jogging, swimming, raking, sweeping, dancing, playing tennis — that increase your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time. They will make it easier for you to walk farther, faster, or uphill. They also should make everyday activities such as gardening, shopping, or playing a sport easier.
How Much, How Often
Refer to your starting goals, and build up your endurance gradually. If you haven’t been active for a long time, it’s especially important to work your way up over time. It may take a while to go from a longstanding inactive lifestyle to doing some of the activities in this section. For example, start out with 5 or 10 minutes at a time, and then build up to at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity endurance activity. Doing less than 10 minutes at a time won’t give you the desired heart and lung benefits. Try to build up to at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity endurance activity on most or all days of the week. Every day is best. Remember, though, that these are goals, not rules. Some people will be able to do more Others, however, may not be able to exercise for 30 minutes at a time. It’s important to set realistic goals based on your own health and abilities.
Counting Your Steps
Step counters can help you keep track
of your endurance activity, set goals,
and measure progress. Most inactive
people get fewer than 5,000 steps a
day, and some very inactive people
get only 2,000 steps a day.
Wear the step counter for a few days to see how you’re doing.
You can use the Endurance Daily Record on page 105 to record
your steps. If you get:
- Fewer than 5,000 steps a day, gradually
try to add 3,000 to 4,000 more steps a day. - About 8,000 steps a day, you’re probably
meeting the recommended activity target. - 10,000 or more steps a day, you can be
confident that you’re getting an
adequate amount of endurance activity. - 10,000 steps a day comfortably, try
for 15,000 steps a day, which would
put you in the high-activity group.
