A Sane Approach to Exercise

Only 20% of people are currently doing enough exercise to get health
benefits from it. A sane approach is easy. A sane approach is just difficult
enough to produce benefits for the heart, lungs and muscles.
Working regular exercise into your busy life takes a real commitment. Even
the greatest enthusiasm does not last for long. So it is good to make a
habit of exercising at the same time of day. Whenever possible, exercise
with others.
Running is not a good choice for exercise because up to four of every ten
adults who run will have an injury to their legs or feet in a year. In the
long run running increases arthritis. Better for most people to walk
regularly...it's something you can do for the rest of your life.
Walk without stopping, use a stationary cycle, or do any continuous activity
for 20 minutes, 3 times a week to make your heart beat a little faster and
to make you breathe a little harder. This activity does not need to be all
at once; it can be spread throughout the day.
How you feel is a better guide for walking than a "target heart rate". If
you can sing, you are walking too slowly. If you are too short of breath to
talk, you are walking too fast.
Slow stretching relaxes muscles and increases flexibility. This is
especially true when muscles are warm with increased blood circulation after
exercise. Gentle movement lubricates joints and reduces pain. Stretching
should be slow and not cause pain. [AAFP]