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Get Fit on a Shoestring Budget
by Greg Landry, M.S.
Aside from all the health benefits of
exercise, a good exercise program can also help you save money and possibly
even make more money... and you can implement an effective, comprehensive
exercise program with very little expense.
Research has demonstrated that people who exercise on a regular basis save
thousands of dollars in medical expenses over a lifetime. Because exercise
improves the immune system, exercisers usually experience fewer colds and
other respiratory infections and thus have fewer "down days" and doctor bills.
Exercisers also have fewer lower back problems, and the incidence of heart
attacks, strokes, and certain cancers is lower in exercisers!
Exercise also increases mental acuity,
reduces fatigue, and improves the quality of sleep... leading to improved
productivity and quality of life for most people.
A comprehensive exercise program consists of two components; aerobic and
anaerobic. They work together to give you all the benefits you can derive
from an exercise program.
1. Aerobic exercise refers to exercises like brisk walking, jogging, swimming,
aerobic dance, outdoor cycling, stationary cycling, rowing, stair climbing,
etc. The benefits of aerobic exercise are numerous including increased caloric
expenditure, increased metabolism, increased energy levels, decreased incidence
of cardiovascular disease, etc.
The simplest, most liked, and usually least expensive of these is walking.
Or, If you already have the required equipment such as a rower or stationary
cycle, or access to a swimming pool, these would also be inexpensive options.
If you're interested in buying exercise equipment, never buy it new! Free
classified type newspapers around the country are LOADED with used exercise
equipment! I've gotten some great deals by keeping an eye on those classified
papers.
I recommend doing some form of aerobic exercise on a daily basis, preferably
first thing in the morning. Forget this "twice a week" stuff! Our bodies
were "designed" to be active on a daily basis! When we are, all sorts of
wonderful things happen, including the fact that our metabolism soars!
Although you should try to average 30 - 45 minutes per day, even if you can
only do 10 minutes some days, that's alot better than doing nothing! Get
in the habit of exercising everyday... just like brushing your teeth. Ideally,
your heart rate should be in your "target range" for most of your aerobic
exercise session. That can be calculated as follows...
(220 - age) x .6 is your lower limit
and (220 - age) x .8 is your upper limit. For example, if you're 40 years
old, your lower limit would be 108 beats per minute (180 x .6) and your upper
limit would be 144 beats per minute (180 x .8).
2. Anaerobic exercise is the second component of a comprehensive exercise
program and refers primarily to resistance exercise like weight training
to tone and strengthen your muscles. Weight training is loaded with benefits
such as increased metabolism, improved appearance, increased fat burning
24 hours a day, increased sense of well-being and confidence, decreased incidence
of osteoporosis, etc...
Weight training can be done at a health club or less expensively at home.
For less than $30 you can usually buy the dumbells (small weights) needed
for an effective home weight training program. You should weight train three
days per week and it can be accomplished in 20 to 30 minutes.
My experience over the years is that most people try to "buy" a successful
exercise program... they believe that if they "buy" the "latest and greatest"
exercise gadget or if they "buy" the magical new supplements that burn five
pounds of fat a day, or if they "buy" a health club membership, they can
acieve their exercise goals. The fact is that an effective, comprehensive
exercise program can be implemented with very little expense! Get started!
* Be sure to check with your health care professional before making any changes
in your activity habits.
What's Related:
Your Recovery Kit for Holiday Eating
Holidays & Exercise - They Can Go Together!
Don't Make Time, Make Changes
Get Fit on a Shoestring Budget
About the Author:
Author and exercise physiologist, Greg
Landry, M.S., publishes a FREE email newsletter, "Fitness, Health, &
Weight Loss"! To start your free subscription... send an e-mail to:
Fitness-on@mail-list.com or
visit
http://www.Landry.com
Copyright 1998 by Greg Landry, M.S.
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