exercise training for General health
Benefits of resistance training on health are numerous. Being physically active reduces risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, stroke, as well as cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer's, and dementia. It slows the aging process, and has been proven to be a mood stabilizer.
*scroll to the bottom to see this put into context*
*scroll to the bottom to see this put into context*
Basic Exercise Guidelines (for the beginner):
- aerobic exercise should be done on most days, accumulating a minimum 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise weekly
- resistance training should be performed a minimum of 2 days per week, each should be a full body workout composed of 8-10 exercises with a rep range of 8-12 repetitions to volitional fatigue
- the speed by which you pick up and put down the weight should be at least 1-2 seconds for the lift and 1-2 seconds for the lower
- flexibility training should be performed for each muscle group 2-3 days per week holding each stretch for approximately 30 seconds
putting it into context
Due to time constraints people often find it difficult to find 30 minutes a day for cardio activity in addition to performing resistance training twice a week. That would mean you would need to exercise approximately 7 times per week. For this reason circuit training, boot camps and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has become quite popular. These formats often combine both resistance training exercises with cardiovascular exercises offering the best of both worlds. As you can see above it is recommended to get 75-150 minutes of cardio activity. The lower number is for higher intensity cardio because we know that we get a greater benefit when the intensity is higher. You will find in these formats the intensity is higher so in addition to combining both resistance and cardio, you don't need to perform quite as much. So instead of needing to exercise 5-7 times per week, you can get it all done in 3 or 4 times per week.
If you are new to exercise or have not been exercising for the last three months it is recommended you start off with lower intensity cardio and resistance training. So while we just finished discussing boot camps and HIIT training you may want to workout three times a week at a lower intensity for a month or two before you jump into the higher intensity regimens. Jumping into the higher intensity too early may result in severe soreness, tendonitis, or injury.
If you are new to exercise or have not been exercising for the last three months it is recommended you start off with lower intensity cardio and resistance training. So while we just finished discussing boot camps and HIIT training you may want to workout three times a week at a lower intensity for a month or two before you jump into the higher intensity regimens. Jumping into the higher intensity too early may result in severe soreness, tendonitis, or injury.