I like to walk to work at a sort of brisk amble, which takes about 30 minutes. For it to be beneficial should I walk faster? Am I doing enough?
Enough for what? How you exercise to improve health or fitness, or to lose weight, are different. Exercising for your health needs to be your foundation and, while the recommendations I outline will get you fitter, they can appear a little daunting, so the bottom line for everyone this year should be to do something you enjoy that fits with your life, and which you can easily keep doing all year.
For health, the chief medical officer recommends at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity for adults. This can be broken down into three blocks of 10 minutes but needs to be equivalent to walking at a brisk pace. Try to speed up your amble by swinging your arms faster. For weight loss, 45 to 60 minutes of daily moderate activity may be necessary, with some modification to what you eat.
Physical fitness involves cardiovascular fitness (the stamina of your heart and lungs), muscular strength, endurance and flexibility. The American College of Sports Science recommends exercise three to five times a week for 20 to 60 minutes at an intensity that leaves you out of breath, but able to sustain a sporadic conversation. For muscular improvements ACSM recommends one set of eight to 10 repetitions, two to three times a week. Weight training, toning exercises and some forms of yoga are appropriate. You can get your flexibility benefits by adding stretching activities to your workout cool-down. Don’t worry if you feel exhausted just reading this – make daily activity for health your foundation, and anything extra a bonus, and you’ll be giving your body the best new year gift it can have.
· Joanna Hall is a fitness expert (joannahall.com). Send your exercise questions to: Weekend, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER.
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