Monday, March 2, 2009

Physical Activites for Health

Great Moves


Given the numerous benefits of regular physical activity, you may
be ready to get in motion! But first, it’s important to know how activities differ from one another and how each form of movement uniquely contributes to your health. Three types of activity are important for a complete physical activity program: aerobic activity, resistance training, and flexibility exercises. Let’s take a brief look at each one.

Types of Physical Activity

Aerobic activity is any physical activity that uses large muscle groups and causes your body to use more oxygen than it would while resting. This booklet focuses mainly on aerobic activity
because it is the type of movement that most benefits the heart. Examples of aerobic activity are brisk walking, jogging, and bicycling. Resistance training—also called strength training—can firm,
strengthen, and tone your muscles, as well as improve bone strength, balance, and coordination. Examples of strength moves are pushups, lunges, and bicep curls using dumbbells. Flexibility exercises stretch and lengthen your muscles. These activities help to improve joint flexibility and keep muscles limber, thereby preventing injury. An example of a stretching move is sitting cross-legged on the floor and gently pushing down on the tops of your legs to stretch the inner thigh muscles.

Working Together for Health

While aerobic activities benefit the heart most, all three types of movement are vital components of a physical activity program. They also work together in important ways. For example, resistance exercises can help you achieve the muscle strength, balance, and coordination to do your aerobic activities more successfully. Meanwhile, flexibility training will help you to move your muscles and joints more easily and prevent injury as you engage in aerobic activities. Many activities that promote flexibility and strength are also relaxing and fun. see below example

Your Guide to Physical Activity and Your Heart

Sunday------------ Aerobic---------------------- Stretch
Monday------------Aerobic-------Strengh------Stretch
Tuesday
----------- Aerobic---------------------- Stretch
Wednesday--------Aerobic-----------------------Stretch
Thursday----------Aerobic--------Strength-----Stretch
Friday------------ -Aerobic-----------------------Stretch
Saturday-----------Aerobic--------Strength------Stretch




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