Cardio/Endurance Exercises
You should try to do 30 minutes of cardio respiratory endurance exercise each day. This means getting your heart rate up and breathing faster. Walking, cycling and swimming are all examples of cardio/endurance exercises. It is ok to do three 10-minute periods of exercise if you prefer, especially when you are just starting to exercise. At the beginning, try to get your heart rate to increase 50% over your normal resting heart rate. Gradually work up to 85% increase over your normal resting heart rate.To find your normal resting heart rate, place your fingers on a pulse point (your wrist, neck or temple usually work well) and count the beats for ten seconds. Then multiply that number by 6 for your normal resting heart rate per minute. When you are exercising, take your heart rate the same way and compare it to your resting heart rate. If you have trouble finding your heart rate, have someone help you the first few times until you get the hang of it.Cardio-respiratory endurance exercise increases your body’s ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and to remove waste over sustained periods of time. After exercising consistently for a few weeks, you will notice a dramatic improvement in your ability to exercise and in your ability to perform everyday tasks without getting winded and out of breath.
Strength/Resistance Training
Strength training uses and strengthens your muscles with repetitive motion exercises. Strength training can be done with weights, resistance bands, nautilus machines or by using walls, the floor and furniture for resistance. There are several different types of exercise you can do:
Two to three strength/resistance training workouts a week will provide you the greatest benefits. The workouts should last 30-60 minutes each with at least one day of recovery in between workouts. You should try to exercise all muscle groups by doing 1-2 sets of 10-15 repetitions at moderate intensity (usually 70% of maximum ability, less if you are just starting). Progressively increase weight in your workouts.
Strength training helps prevent loss of bone mass and improves balance. Both of these things will help you avoid falls and broken bones. Miriam Nelson, a Tufts University scientist and specialist on aging has done a lot of research on strength training, especially for women, and has found it to be a crucial element in staying healthy and reducing the frailty that often comes with aging.
Stretching/Flexibility Exercises
Stretching is vital to exercise. You should always warm up and cool down when you exercise and both should include some stretching. Stretching helps your muscles warm up gradually and cool down gradually. Stretching improves and maintains flexibility, prevents injury, and reduces muscle soreness and stiffness. You may also find that you like stretching because it can be a time of meditation and a time to appreciate how your body feels.
Activities like yoga or Pilates can provide a good form of stretching as well as strength training because they focus on isolating and developing different muscle groups. Yoga and Pilates focus on developing a strong ‘core,’ a term which refers to the set of muscles connecting the inner stomach to the lower back and spine (pull your belly button back toward your spine to get an idea of the muscles in your core). Because the core muscles provide the foundation for all movement and strength, having a strong core can help with all movement, encourage better posture and reduce all over muscle pain.
