Advanced Search
Current and Breaking News for Professionals, Consumers and Media

Click here to learn how to advertise on this site and for ad rates.

Exercise Author: Harvard Men’s Health Watch Last Updated: Dec 10, 2009 - 11:57:03 AM



How Much Exercise Do You Need?

By Harvard Men’s Health Watch
Dec 10, 2009 - 11:52:22 AM



Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon Sign up for our Ezine
For Email Marketing you can trust


Email this article
 Printer friendly page
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - BOSTON—People exercise for many reasons: work, health, recreation, competition, or their appearance. The amount of exercise you need depends on your reasons for doing it, your starting point, and how quickly you want to achieve your goals, reports the December 2009 issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch.

For work: We’ve replaced hoes with tractors, brooms with vacuums, and stairs with escalators. In the process, we’ve created a shortage of the physical activity that we need to ward off disease. Any physical activity you can get while doing work is good.

For health: Regular exercise provides protection against heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and many other ills. The key is isotonic exercise—activities that use your large muscle groups in a rhythmic, repetitive fashion without making your muscles work against heavy resistance. Isotonic exercises include walking, bicycling, rowing, and the like. You can get all the health benefits you need from moderate exercise, even if you do it in little chunks of time. A range of activities can be counted toward daily exercise, from climbing the stairs to using an elliptical machine. The key is to do enough, often enough.

For recreation: No need for a point system, clock, or calendar here. If you’re exercising for the fun of it, just go for it—as long as you meet your minimum needs for health.

For competition: To hit your peak for road running, racquet sports, basketball, biking, or any other competitive sport, work out for aerobic fitness. That means boosting your heart rate to 70% to 85% of its maximum and holding it there for 20 to 60 minutes.

For appearance: You can lose weight with the moderate exercise you need for health—but for faster, more impressive weight loss, do about an hour of moderate exercise a day.

Harvard Men’s Health Watch notes that the amount of exercise you need is the amount that allows you to meet your goals.

Subscribe to our FREE Ezine and be eligible for Health News, discounted products/services and coupons related to your Health. We publish 24/7.
HealthNewsDigest.com
We videotape Press Conferences, produce SMT's, VNR's, B-rolls, PSA's, - all with distribution: HealthyTelevisionProductions

Top of Page

HealthNewsDigest.com

Exercise
Latest Headlines


+ Revolutionary New Online Personal Trainer from PERFECT FIT
+ Exercise May Enhance Sexual Function in Men
+ Health Benefits of Exercise May Depend on Cellular Cannibalism
+ American Council on Exercise Announces Its Fitness Industry Vision Report for 2012
+ Walking Clubs Provide a Simple, Free Way to Get Fit in the New Year
+ Cold Weather Exercise Tips
+ The Top 10 Workout Songs For This Winter
+ Exercise May Help Reduce Cancer Risk and Increase Survival
+ Tips On How to Start a Running Program
+ 10 Top Personal Fitness Trainers in a Box



Contact Us | Job Listings | Help | Site Map | About Us
Advertising Information | HND Press Release | Submit Information | Disclaimer

Site hosted by Sanchez Productions