Exercise is good

Live longer, look and feel great with aerobic exercise.

Pedal, swim, jog, or walk to turn yourself into a long-lasting, lean, mean, energetic man machine. Regardless of your age, weight or athletic ability, aerobic exercise is good for you and great for your heart.

You don’t have to be an athlete to get a healthy bod and lose those love handles and moobs: just eat well and make a habit of doing some form of aerobic 3 or more times a week. It won’t happen overnight but you’ll get there if you stick with it. What’s more, most aerobic activities are good fun and can be something you do with friends or partner.

back to top

What’s the definition of ‘aerobic exercise’?

Aerobic exercise is any activity that uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously, and is rhythmic in nature. It’s a form of exercise that causes your heart and lungs to work harder than at rest. Good examples are swimming, cycling, jogging, walking, skiing and aerobics.

When you're aerobically fit, your body takes in and uses oxygen more efficiently. You breathe faster and more deeply to maximize the amount of oxygen in your blood stream. Your heart pumps blood faster and more forcefully and your small blood vessels (capillaries) increase in diameter (dilate) and in number.

The benefits are huge.

Reduce your risk of coronary artery disease. Even if you've had a heart attack, improving your aerobic fitness can help prevent a second.
Reduce your risk of getting high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, aerobic exercise can help lower it.
Improve blood fats. Exercise increases the concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the 'good' cholesterol) and decreases the concentration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the 'bad' cholesterol) in your blood.
Manage your weight. Combined with a healthy diet and appropriate strength training, aerobic exercise can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight
Strengthen your heart muscle. A stronger heart can pump more blood for every heartbeat, which means your heart doesn't need to beat as fast during rest or exercise.
Improve blood flow to all parts of your body. A stronger heart muscle pumps blood more efficiently.
Feel good, think better. Aerobic exercise can ease the gloominess of depression and the tension associated with anxiety.

Back to top

Here are some tips for successful aerobic exercising

• If you’ve been a couch potato for ages, are overweight, have a high risk of coronary heart disease or some other health problem, first see your doctor for a check-up.
• Choose activities that suit you and are fun, not exhausting.
• Try to make exercise part of everyday life. Walk to a meeting instead of catching a taxi. Walk or cycle to the shops – take a backpack to carry home your shopping. Go for a swim or a walk in your lunch break.
• Mix it up. Do a range of activities so you don’t get bored.
• Kit yourself out in properly fitted footwear and clothing that’s right for the activity and the weather. Pick stuff that’s stylish and washes well.
• Choose a convenient time and place. Make exercise a habit, but be flexible. If you miss a time, work exercise into your day in another way.
• Use music to get you in the mood, set the pace and make exercise more enjoyable.
• Join a team or a group who are in to the same things.
• Share with others. Go on exercise dates, take your dog for a jog.
• Start slowly. Then slowly increase the duration and intensity of your activities. Work up to three or four 30 – 60 minute sessions a week.
• Keep a record of what you’re up to and reward yourself when you hit milestones. Nothing motivates quite like success! 

Back to top

What did you like doing when you were a kid?

A good way to hit upon an activity that’s right for you is to return to something you enjoyed when you were young. Liked exploring? Then perhaps hiking would be up your alley. A BMX nut? Then get back in the saddle with a mountain bike (you don’t have to actually rip down mountains - there are bike tracks through bush and along the coast in many parts of Australia.) If you were the king of cross-country, jogging would be an obvious choice. 

Tips to start running

1. Try to run outdoors. The treadmill gets boring.
2. Start by setting an achievable goal. Twice around the block is fine to begin with.
3. Sign up for a short race. It’ll give you a goal to work towards, even if it’s 6 months away.
4. Start slow. You should be going slow enough to talk. Speed will come later.
5. Get a good pair of running shoes. They’ll save your knees and ankles.
6. Stretch, stretch, stretch.
7. Don’t run every day. Do something else on your days ‘off’.
8. Run, jog, walk – it all counts. Stop and get your breath if you have to.
9. Get a running buddy – real or virtual.
10. Have fun: choose different routes and try different locations.
Remember – the longest journey starts with the first step. 

Back to top

Groups are good for your health and social life

http://www.bushwalkingaustralia.org/index.html 

http://www.bushwalking.org.au/ 

http://www.bicycles.net.au/ 

http://www.bicycles.net.au/links/orgs.html

Back to top