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Remember:
Always consult with your physician and health care professional
before starting this or any exercise program, also always
start slowly - if you feel faint, dizzy, or lightheaded,
stop activity immediately and consult a health professional.
One of the most significant things you can do for yourself
and your family is to take care of your "heart(s)."
The heart is the most important muscle in your body - without
a strong and healthy heart, the human body will not function
at its optimal capacity and can eventually lead to health
concerns and problems. This is not only true for adults,
but for your children as well.
With so many options of movement and exercise to choose
from - it is really not difficult to find an activity that
both you and your family members would find enjoyable. Because
we are all so busy these days, and often have different
schedules, it is imperative that we try to exercise on our
own or whenever possible, as a group and family unit! Either
way, as long as each family member is participating in a
cardiovascular activity, all members will benefit individually
as well as a family!
Remember, studies show that families who exercise
individually and or together, enhance the cohesiveness of
their family!
You guys should be as active as you can be especially outdoors
as weather permits. Try to stay active 3-4 days a week with
some sort of activity like softball, walking, jogging, Frisbee,
track events, biking, rollerblading, skateboarding, swimming,
basketball, baseball, etc. If you enjoy doing cardiovascular
machines in your home or at a health club, that is great
too! Whether performing outdoor events or indoor cardio,
my recommendation is to have fun for 30-40 minutes 3-4 days
a week.
Now for my more mature audience, I recommend cardiovascular
activity for at least 25-40 minutes per session at least
3-4 days per week. You should be more focused on intensity
levels than your children should be.
Use an R.P.E. scale (Rate of perceived exertion) from 1-10:
"Don't be a hero" if exercise is new to you,
start slow and do what you can at an R.P.E. level of 4-5
or whatever feels "safe" and comfortable to you.
If you are more experienced go towards 6, 7 or even 8 on
the scale of 1-10. Remember feel "safe" and comfortable
to your standards - everyone's R.P.E. scale is relative!
In either case it is alright because you are moving and
your heart is beating and pumping blood which improves the
"stroke volume" of your heart which lowers your
resting heart rate. These are both signs of improved health.
Nice going!
Note: For those of you who are concerned
with weight loss or better put, reducing your body fat %:
if you are not averaging a one or two pound reduction per
week, you might want to increase the time you are exercising
by 10-20%. You can also achieve greater results by possibly
increasing your intensity. In other words, increase your
R.P.E., working a little harder, sweating a little more
and bringing your heart rate a little higher! (Also, see
nutrition for more information on weight loss.)
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