Exercise: How Much, How Intense
So I’m looking at this CDC (Centers for Disease Control) Website and I understand what it’s about and what it all means and it’s still a little bit confusing. For someone who hasn’t been very active or doesn’t really know where to begin, all of this information can be a bit overwhelming and it makes it really easy to just disregard it and go on with life as you know it.
I’m not going to restate the recommendations for the amount of physical activity because it’s easier for you to just look over the CDC’s website. I WILL clarify some things for you though.
“Moderate Intensity” means that you can talk to a friend while you’re walking, but you probably have to take breaths after a few words. If you can sing, or if you can chat like you would sitting at dinner, you’re not walking fast enough or working hard enough. If you’re in pretty good shape, you’ll need to walk like you’re in a hurry or even jog to get to this intensity. If you’re new to exercise, you may be taking it a bit slower.
“Vigorous Intensity” means that you’re working hard and it feels like it. You can’t breathe through your nose anymore and you can probably get out a couple of words to an exercise partner. When you’re at a “vigorous” intensity, you can usually still breathe rhythmically. If you feel like you’re gasping for breath through the whole work out, you’re probably working too hard and may want to lower your intensity a bit. It’s OK to be breathless through parts of your exercise, just not the whole time. (On a scale of 1-10, “vigorous” is a 7 or 8 while “full out” or “breathless” is as hard as you can go or a 10.)
Some exercise tips:
- Drink plenty of water during and after your exercise. You don’t need a sports drink or anything besides water.
- If you want to eat something before you exercise, have a meal a couple hours before or a light snack about a half hour or fifteen minutes before. Everyone’s different and all foods affect us differently. (I just can’t eat a banana before any kind of exercise, I get the worst upset stomach, but a half a peanut butter sandwich is great for me.) If you have the energy you need to get a good workout, don’t stress out about eating before.
- Eat after you’re finished with a vigorous workout. You don’t need extra protein (some uneducated trainers will recommend protein shakes or a protein based meal. Yuck!) Have a meal or snack with carbohydrates and some protein (turkey sandwich, egg and toast, yogurt, bean burrito, cheese and crackers.)
- Be sure you’ve got comfortable shoes and clothes. Being comfortable and avoiding the injuries that can come from having bad shoes is worth the small investment.
Be sure you read my next post about resistance/weight training.
May you (and your heart) be happy and healthy,
Regan
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