Choosing Your Exercise

By Wayne Baker

 

OK, so if I’m going to have to exercise, what’s the best exercise? Simply put, the best exercise is the exercise that you will do! For cardiovascular health, your heart rate must be increased, and that increase must be sustained for a period of time, generally 20 minutes or more. If an exercise does not do that, it only benefits your heart and circulatory system slightly.

 

The “Big 4” aerobic exercises [running (or jogging), walking, bicycling or swimming] are the ones to consider first. Many exercises that are often referred to as exercise (and they are) do not raise the heart rate continuously, so they don’t do much to benefit your cardiovascular system. Among these non-cardio sports are bowling, golf (unless you walk the course), tennis, and many others.

 

So, what do I recommend? Unless you have joint trouble, consider walking first. Since it only requires a pair of comfortable shoes, it has the lowest starting cost. It’s as close as your front door (and some people chose to walk in place indoors, so going out the door need not even be necessary. Everyone knows how to do it, but learning better technique will pay you dividends.

 

Though I’m a runner, the next sport I’d suggest, and one of the best for those with joint problems is bicycling. The smooth, rotary motion of cycling avoids the pounding of knees, ankles, feet and lower back that running, and to a lesser degree walking, puts on an athlete. A decent quality bicycle today costs in the $400-500 range, but you can often get a good, used bike for a fraction of that. Be sure that you get a bike that is sized properly for you. Proper cycling clothing will cost a couple of hundred dollars more. Always wear a helmet when cycling, I know many people whose lives have been saved by helmets or who have avoided long hospital stays by wearing them. Most smart cyclists recognize it’s not “if I crash,” it’s “when I crash.” Brain injuries don’t heal; wearing a helmet is your best protection. Unfortunately, because gripping the handlebars may cause problems with sensing and because of the risk of having the sensor wire tangle and possibly cause a crash, Mark of Fitness’ policy is “Do Not Use the MF-180 when bicycling.”

 

Running is the most intense, and potentially most damaging to your body, of these sports. It pounds the feet, legs and lower back; so if you select this as your primary sport, understand that injury is often part of the picture. While we all ran as children without detrimental effect, as we age and get out of shape, the likelihood of injury rises. Wear good shoes, listen to your body.

 

Swimming is the one sport I cannot speak about from experience. I describe myself as a slow drowner. While I am comfortable in water, I never learned to breathe well in the water. Swimming does offer a non-impact, non-weight bearing exercise. This makes it excellent for many people with joint problems or those who are so heavy that other exercises are difficult. The MF-180 cannot be used for in-water activities such as swimming.

 

Are other types of aerobic activity OK? Yes, but note that aerobics classes at a gym are often high-impact classes. Seek out low-impact classes, if they’re offered, don’t hesitate to take classes designed for senior citizens (even if you don’t qualify), they are often much less risky than standard classes, though they may lack the level of intensity you require.

 

Regardless of which exercise you choose, try to find a workout partner or a local club to help support you. Exercising with others makes you feel responsibility to exercise and adds camaraderie to the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tools For A Healthy Lifestyle