|
The new year is well underway, and with exercise being a key component of so many of our new year’s resolutions, it’s always a good idea to check in on how you are doing.
For cardiovascular exercise, both the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend:
- 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise like brisk walking; or
- 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise like running/stair climbing.
- For additional benefits, they both recommend increasing that number to 300 minutes or more per week of specifically moderate-intensity exercise per week.
When it comes to resistance training, they recommend that adults target major muscle groups (legs, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, arms) at least 2–3 days per week.
Here are some tips to help integrate these habits into your daily life, while also achieving other health benefits in the process:
- Take a 10-minute walk before and after work, with another 10-minute walk break sometime during the day, like during lunch or a lull period. This will give you your necessary 30 minutes of walking per day.
- Take standing breaks during your day. This will help boost your metabolism and reduce the negative effects of prolonged posturing at a workstation.
- Look into local community centers for free/affordable gym access. Some insurance companies also participate with gyms and can reduce/eliminate the cost of a monthly membership.
- Make plans to meet up with friends for long walks on the weekend when you have more time.
- Drink plenty of water during the day. This will likely force you to get up a couple additional times per day, plus it’s good for you!
We all know exercise is important, but time can be a barrier for a lot of us. Integrating some of these helpful tips can hopefully make it easier to maximize your health and reach your goals in the process
| 
