Exercise Routines: Balanced in Best!

Exercise is very exciting because it so quickly changes how you feel and how your body works. While all types of exercise provide benefits, and there is certainly no “wrong” way to exercise, certain types of exercise are especially good for certain goals. Sometimes, people find a form of exercise that they really like and do that most of the time, But, perhaps tapping into a few different types of exercise will give you all the different benefits that exercise can provide. I like to think of four different “types” of exercise and make sure you strive to get some of each for ideal benefits. Of course, if you have exercise restrictions, you may need to modify or avoid some of them, so be sure to check with your physician and follow all of your restrictions. Otherwise, think of each type as a “bucket”. When you fill each bucket, you have a balanced exercise prescription and you are getting some of all the benefits of exercise. The proportion of each type can vary depending on your needs and goals.

Bucket 1: Long, slow aerobic exercise

Think of this as your “base”. This is where you start. This is “cardio” but at a low to moderate intensity. Exactly what it is will depend on your fitness level, but it is something that you can maintain for a period of time. You can gauge the intensity level of exercise using a “perceived rate of exertion” or a heart rate monitor with zones that are individualized for you which takes some data. Examples of this are brisk walking, a jog, a “spin” on a bike, or an elliptical type machine. Long, slow aerobic exercise is great for losing weight, preventing weight regain, improving joint pain, and reducing cardiovascular disease risk. If you have to choose one type of exercise, choose this one! It has low injury risk and only requires some shoes, and even that is questionable!

Bucket 2: Resistance Training

Resistance training is anything that adds more than a usual load to your muscles. This is typically thought of as weight lifting, but that is not the only way to do it. Additional load can also be achieved by moving in different than normal positions, known as body weight resistance. Examples are walking lunges, air squats, push ups, or planks. Your body is your best machine! You may also use other equipment like a TRX or resistance band. Resistance training helps to build strength in the muscles, preserve lean body mass, build bone density, increase healthy hormones, increase resting metabolic rate, increase insulin sensitivity, reduce the risk of falls, and make it easier to lift heavy stuff! Keep in mind that resistance training can also be aerobic or anaerobic exercise, especially if you are not sitting down when you do it, such as free weights, body weight and compound movements, and super sets. In body building jokes, cardio is just lifting weights faster!

Bucket 3: Anaerobic Bursts

Anaerobic exercise is when your muscles are working so hard that they can no longer utilize oxygen as your body can not deliver it fast enough, so they switch to anaerobic metabolism. You can feel when this happens because the muscles burn while you are doing it. Be sure it is safe for your to do this before you start. Anaerobic exercise releases more oxidative species and can lead to more cell breakdown, so it generally requires more recover time and can lead to unexpected things like increases in blood sugar, fatigue, increased hunger, and impaired weight loss. The benefits are that it increases cardiovascular fitness and can reduce anxiety and provide that dopamine surge that many people call a “runner’s high”. A common frustration these days is that people think they are doing high intensity interval training, or “HIIT”, when they are not actually doing intervals that allow their heart rate to come down into the aerobic zone but are in the high intensity zone for the entire 30 minutes. This is when they can be frustrated with some of those unexpected effects.

Bucket 4: Mobility/Balance/Recovery

This last bucket is what allows you to keep moving and exercising, but also the most often neglected. It is mobility, balance training, and recovery. Mobility is for the joints. The most common joints that lead to issues are the hips and the shoulders. We spend a lot of time sitting and with our arms in front of us, so we tend to have tight hips and shoulders that rotate forward. This can lead to pain or reduced range of motion. Mobility exercises address these things. Balance exercises are great for reducing the risk of falls which are much more common than you think and can lead to injuries that can put you on the beck for six weeks or more. Balance exercises are also great for a strong core and those little tiny muscles that keep joints healthy in the knees and ankles. They frequently include movements on one foot, with the eyes closed, or with a bosu ball. Be careful not to fall! Recovery is nutrition, sleep, water, and avoiding things that impair recovery like alcohol. It may also include stretching of the muscles. In general, as you get older, you need to spend more and more time on this “bucket” to be able to continue the others!

You can choose the way in which you exercise for each “bucket” that works best for you. Your target for the volume of each is 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise plus two days a week of resistance exercise for general health. For weight regain prevention, that basically doubles. You may do HIIT once a week or for 6 to 10 minutes at the end of a workout if appropriate for you. But, wherever you are, start low, go slow, and play the long game. Remember, consistency is more important than intensity.

If we can help, by providing any pre-exercise evaluation or cardiovascular testing, or physical therapy or orthopedics referral, let us know! Physical therapy is a great place to start for someone with severe deconditioning, joint issues, pain or other concerns. If you have or at risk for cardiovascular disease and are worried about starting an exercise program, we can help with that, too! If you perceive a barrier, let’s talk about it. The good news is, with exercise, as long as it is safe, you really can’t go wrong!

Take Back Your Strength & Fitness,

Valerie Hope-Slocum Sutherland, MD