Apart from strengthening your heart, regular exercise helps to burn kilojoules, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduce your risk of illnesses such as diabetes.

Precautions

    • Consult your doctor before starting an exercise programme.
    • Stop exercising and get immediate medical help if you’ve pain or pressure in your chest, neck, arm, jaw or shoulder; break out in a cold sweat; have trouble breathing; have a very fast or uneven heart rate; feel dizzy, lightheaded or very tired; have unexplained weight gain, swelling or other symptoms that cause concern.
    • Gradually increase your activity level.
    • Wait one and a half hours after eating a meal before exercising.
    • Include a five-minute “warm-up” and a five minute “cool down” after exercising.

Remember to breathe while doing the following exercises (standing or sitting) for at least 30 minutes five days per week.

Warm-up exercises

Keep your back straight and movements slow and controlled while doing these exercises.

    • Raise your foot to fully straighten your knee out in front of you. Hold for a count of five. Lower your foot to the floor. Repeat on other side.
    • While sitting, lift one knee toward the ceiling. As you lower this knee, raise your other knee. Alternate each leg as if marching in place.
    • Lift your shoulders up and forward toward your ears. Release your shoulders down and back in a smooth circular motion.
    • Sit with your arms at your sides, fingers pointing toward the floor. Raise both arms sideways to shoulder height. Keeping your elbows straight, rotate your arms in small circles.

Stretching exercises

Stretch until you feel a gentle pull in your muscle. Hold each of these stretches for 20 to 30 seconds.

    • While standing, place one foot on something at a height that allows you to keep your knee straight while holding onto a sturdy object such as a table. Slowly lean forward, keeping your back straight. Reach one hand down your shin until you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh. Relax. Repeat with your other leg.
    • Lie on your back and flatten the small of your back onto the floor. Bend one knee and pull your bent leg toward your chest, until you feel a pull in your lower back. Keep your head on the floor but don’t strain yourself. Gently lower your leg, and then repeat with your other leg.
    • Stand straight with your legs about shoulder width apart. Reach over your head with one arm, elbow bent, sliding the opposite arm and hand down your thigh, toward your knee. Hold the stretch until you feel a gentle pull at your side. Repeat with other side.
    • Hold onto a sturdy chair for balance. Lift one leg straight behind you, keeping both knees straight. Rotate your leg clockwise, then counter clockwise, as if drawing small circles with your foot. (You should feel the movement at your hip joint). Repeat in each direction, with each leg.

 

Sources
Cardio Advantage. Novartis. 08/2010/CVS/001/0
www.medicinenet.com
www.webmd.com