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How much exercise should I do? |
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Ideally, you should engage in moderate exercise for 30
minutes every day. Moderate exercise includes taking the dog
for a walk, using the stairs or going for a walk in your
lunch hour.
You can do the 30 minutes in one go or divide it up into a
few manageable blocks of 10 minute sessions.
The important thing is to do it on a daily basis and to
combine it with a balanced diet of proteins, complex
carbohydrates, fibre, vegetables and fruit.
In addition, try to include aerobic exercise sessions such
as swimming, cycling, brisk walking or running two or three
times a week. |
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Ideas to increase levels of exercise |
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Take the stairs or walk up
escalators - an excellent exercise for toning up your
legs and buttocks.
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Walk to the shops instead of
driving and carry the shopping bags home to give your
arms a good workout. Make sure you balance the bags
between your two arms.
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Use weekends to get out and
about. If you live in the city, explore the parks. Go
walking with the family, the dog or both!
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Find a friend to exercise
with. This increases your motivation and ensures that
you get there and on time.
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Join an exercise class, one
in which you feel comfortable and that fits into your
week. Try a walking group, a water aerobics class or the
local tennis club. Check your local leisure centre for
details.
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Join a health club that's
easy for you to get to. Take advantage of the
instructors' experience to get you started on an
appropriate exercise programme.
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Mowing the lawn, pruning and
weeding are strenuous activities that also give a great
sense of accomplishment and wellbeing.
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For something more gentle
and controlled, try yoga or Pilates. These are excellent
alternatives for building muscle strength, tone and
flexibility.
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The workout |
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Unplug your phone, check your
stress at the door, and hang out the "do not disturb" sign.
Your mind and body are not available for anything else until
this workout is over.
With both yoga and pilates, the workout emphasis is not "no
pain, no gain." Instead, calm your mind and concentrate on
making every movement precise and fluid. Focus on deep
breathing and maintaining proper body alignment for every
repetition. |
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Modified table pose
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Sit on the mat with your knees
bent, palms down and slightly behind and fingers facing
forward. Inhale as you lift your hips off the floor,
pressing your feet into the ground. Exhale when your hips
and chest are aligned. Inhale and slowly extend one leg,
flexing the foot and contracting your quadriceps. Hold for
10 seconds while continuing to press into the ground with
your supporting leg. Exhale, return the foot to the floor
and lower your hips to the mat. Repeat with the other leg.
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Helpful tips |
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- Take
a break after any of the exercises
and stretch y either lying on your
back and pulling your knees into
your chest or sitting back on your
heels and resting your chest on the
tops of your legs while stretching
your arms out in front.
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you get stronger, either add
repetitions, hold the positions for
a longer period of time or add new
movements.
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Start by performing this workout a
couple of times a week spaced a few
days apart, but don’t forget to
include cardiovascular exercise and
upper-body work in your total
program.
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Avoid inverted positions like the
three-point pose during
menstruation.
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