On this national fitness day, let us talk about
staying fit to lead a healthy and happy life. To improve your overall health,
you need to perform physical activities that include aerobics and strengthening
exercises. The amount of physical activity you need usually depends on your
age, body mass index and overall health. Typically, there are four types of
physical activities or exercises, which we will discuss shortly.
To stay healthy and fit, adults between the age groups
of 20 and 65 years should do at least 150 minutes of mild to moderate aerobic
exercises every week and strengthen exercises for two or more days a week. It
is imperative to perform exercises under the supervision of a physical trainer.
Here are four basic categories of exercise –
Endurance
Endurance (aerobic) activities help increase your
heart and respiratory. They enhance your blood circulation, providing oxygen
and nutrients to vital organs of the body and improving overall fitness.
Increasing your endurance helps in carrying out your daily activities with
great ease and comfort. Aerobic activities include brisk walking, jogging,
dancing, cycling and swimming.
Strength
Strength exercises can make your muscles strong.
Strength exercises are also known as strength training or resistance training.
They help you feel strong and your ability in doing daily activities is greatly
enhanced. Lifting weights, using your own body weight or using a resistance
band are few common strength-training exercises.
Flexibility
Stretching is an important flexibility exercise, which
can help you stay limber. Staying flexible gives you more freedom in moving
your joints. Shoulder or upper arm stretch, calf stretch and yoga are few
effective exercises that can increase flexibility in joints and body.
Balance
Balance exercises like heel-to-toe walk, tai chi and
standing on one foot help prevent falls. These exercises also improve your body
balance.
In association with these exercises, you should eat
healthy foods. Additionally, you may require food supplements that increase
your immunity.
