Before you start planning a routine of regular physical activities for yourself, take some time to learn more about the variety of physical activities that you can engage in
<div class="ExternalClass8222E12CBEA54258BAA0D5B6FE371657"><span style="line-height:1.6;">When engaging in regular physical activity or planning your physical activity routine, it is important for you to know the types of physical activity that you should engage in and the benefits they provide:</span></div><div class="ExternalClass8222E12CBEA54258BAA0D5B6FE371657"><ul><li>
<span style="line-height:1.6;">Aerobic activity makes you breathe harder and your heart beat faster, as a result, increases heart and lung fitness. Examples include brisk walking, dancing, cycling, jogging, swimming and playing basketball.</span>
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<span style="line-height:1.6;">Muscle-strengthening activity increase bone strength and muscular fitness. Such activities should work all the major muscle groups of your body, that is, the legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders and arms. Examples include doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance (e.g. push ups, pull ups, sit ups and squats), working with resistance band and w</span><span style="line-height:1.6;">eight training.</span>
</li></ul><h2>How much aerobic activity do I need?</h2><p>To gain health benefits, it is recommended that a healthy adult engages in either:</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><ul><li>150 minut<span style="line-height:1.6;">es of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week, or </span>
</li><li>More than 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week.
</li></ul><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>T<span style="line-height:1.6;">h</span><span style="line-height:1.6;">e good ne</span><span style="line-height:1.6;">ws is that you can:</span></p><p></p><ul><li>Combine moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity in a week for more variety.
</li><li>Do the aerobic activity i<span style="line-height:1.6;">n segmen</span><span style="line-height:1.6;">ts of at least 10 minutes. You don't have to do the 20 or 30 minutes at one go.</span>
</li></ul><p></p><p></p><h2>Measuring intensity</h2><p>Intensity is how hard your body is working during aerobic activity. Let's take a look at the difference between moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity activities.</p><p>
<strong>Moderate-intensity aerobic activity</strong></p><p>Moderate-intensity aerobic activity causes a slight increase in breathing and heart rate. However, you are still able to talk but not sing during the activity. You should also be perspiring. Examples include: </p><p></p><ul><li>
<span style="line-height:1.6;">Brisk walking (5 km/hr)</span>
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<span style="line-height:1.6;">Leisure cycling (<16 km/hr)</span>
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<span style="line-height:1.6;">Leisure swimming</span>
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<span style="line-height:1.6;">Playing doubles tennis</span>
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<span style="line-height:1.6;">Line-dancing</span>
</li></ul><p></p><p>
<strong>Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity</strong></p><p>Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity causes your heart rate to increase significantly. You are breathing hard and fast and you will find it difficult to hold a conversation with someone.
Examples of vigorous-intensity physical activity include:</p><p></p><ul><li>
<span style="line-height:1.6;">Jogging or running</span>
</li><li>
<span style="line-height:1.6;">Swimming continuous laps</span>
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<span style="line-height:1.6;">Playing singles tennis</span>
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<span style="line-height:1.6;">Rollerblading at fast pace</span>
</li><li>
<span style="line-height:1.6;">Playing basketball or football</span>
</li><li>
<span style="line-height:1.6;">Skipping with a rope</span>
</li></ul><p></p><p>These activities may vary in intensity between individuals depending on the effort put in and their fitness levels.</p><p>To help you gauge more accurately how hard you have been exercising, you can use the Intensity Guide below. If you would like to be exercising at moderate intensity, you should work towards 70%-80% of your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR). </p><p>If you are aiming for vigorous intensity, you should work towards 80%-85% of your Maximum Heart Rate. [Note: Maximum Heart Rate = 220 – Your Age]</p><p>Follow the following steps to determine your desired intensity:</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin:0px 0px 2em;padding:0px;border-top:1px solid #dddddd;border-left:1px solid #dddddd;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:18px;vertical-align:baseline;border-spacing:0px;width:94%;height:593px;"><tbody style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;"><tr style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;"><td class="vertical" width="15%" style="margin:0px;padding:8px 7px 5px;border-width:0px 1px 1px 0px;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-style:solid;border-right-color:#dddddd;border-bottom-color:#dddddd;font:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;"><p>Step 1</p></td><td style="margin:0px;padding:8px 7px 5px;border-width:0px 1px 1px 0px;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-style:solid;border-right-color:#dddddd;border-bottom-color:#dddddd;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;"><p>At the end of your activity, take your pulse to measure your heart rate.</p><p>Your pulse can be felt on your wrists and neck. Count the number of beats for 15 seconds.</p></td></tr><tr style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;"><td class="vertical" style="margin:0px;padding:8px 7px 5px;border-width:0px 1px 1px 0px;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-style:solid;border-right-color:#dddddd;border-bottom-color:#dddddd;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;"><p>Step 2</p></td><td style="margin:0px;padding:8px 7px 5px;border-width:0px 1px 1px 0px;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-style:solid;border-right-color:#dddddd;border-bottom-color:#dddddd;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;"><p>Obtain your heart rate by multiplying the number of beats by 4.</p></td></tr><tr style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;"><td class="vertical" style="margin:0px;padding:8px 7px 5px;border-width:0px 1px 1px 0px;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-style:solid;border-right-color:#dddddd;border-bottom-color:#dddddd;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;"><p>Step 3</p></td><td style="margin:0px;padding:8px 7px 5px;border-width:0px 1px 1px 0px;border-right-style:solid;border-bottom-style:solid;border-right-color:#dddddd;border-bottom-color:#dddddd;font-variant:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;line-height:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;"><p>Using the Intensity Guide below, read off from your Age and calculated heart rate (in Step 2) to determine whether you have been exercising in your desired intensity.</p>
<p>For example, if you are 40 years old, your MHR is 220–40 = 180 beats per minute (bpm).</p><p>For moderate-intensity physical activity, a 40-year old should therefore aim for 60-80% of this MHR, which is 108-144 bpm.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><h2>How much muscle-strengthening activity do I need?</h2><p>Besides aerobic activity, you should also engage in activities that strengthen your muscles on 2 or more days a week. Muscle-strengthening activity (also known as strength training) should work all the major muscle groups of your body, that is, the legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders and arms.</p><p>Muscle-strengthening activity helps to:</p><p></p><ul><li>
<span style="line-height:1.6;">Develop stronger muscles and bones. It increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.</span>
</li><li>
<span style="line-height:1.6;">Control your weight. As you gain muscle, your body's metabolism rate increases, thus enabling it to burn calories more efficiently.</span>
</li><li>
<span style="line-height:1.6;">Reduce the risk of injury. Stronger muscles are able to support your joints better, and preventing them from injury. In addition, strength training increases neural f</span><span style="line-height:1.6;">unctioning, improving reaction time, thus preventing injurious falls.</span>
</li></ul><p></p><p>Muscle-strengthening activity can be done either at home or in a gym. Examples include:</p><p></p><ul><li>
<span style="line-height:1.6;">Exercises that use your body weight as resistance, such as push-ups, sit-ups, abdominal crunches, pull-ups and leg squats.</span>
</li><li>
<span style="line-height:1.6;">Working with resistance bands. Resistance bands (or resistance tubing) is inexpensive, lightweight and can be bought at stores selling sports equipment.</span>
</li><li>
<span style="line-height:1.6;">Lifting weight</span><span style="line-height:1.6;">s. You can use either free weights such as dumbbells, or work out on the weight machines in a gym or fitness centre.</span>
</li></ul><p></p><p>Muscle-strengthening activities should be performed to the point at which it is difficult to do another repetition. A repetition is one complete movement of an activity, like lifting weights or doing sit-ups. You can:</p><p></p><ul><li>
<span style="line-height:1.6;">Perform the muscle-strengthening activities on the same or different days that you do aerobic activity.</span>
</li><li>
<span style="line-height:1.6;">Start once a week with lighter weights, completing at least 8-12 repetitions. Over time, start increasing weight while performing the same number of repetition</span><span style="line-height:1.6;">s.</span>
</li></ul><p></p><p>Muscle-strengthening activities should include 8-10 different exercises that work the various large muscle groups.</p><h2>Let's get active!</h2><p>Now that you know the types of physical activity for health benefits, it's time to get active. Use the recommendations as a guide to help you in your journey of health and fitness.</p><p>Everyone can enjoy physical activity. However, if you have not been active and have a medical condition such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes or asthma, do consult your doctor on the type and amount of physical activity suitable for you.
</p><p><em>Download the HealthHub app on
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=sg.gov.hpb.healthhub&hl=en_SG" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Google Play</a> or
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/sg/app/healthhub-sg/id1034200875?mt=8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Apple Store</a> to access more health and wellness advice at your fingertips.</em>
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<strong>Read these next:</strong></p><ul><li>
<a href="https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/463/Physical%20Activity" title="6 Ways to Encourage Physical Activity at Work">6 Ways to Encourage Physical Activity at Work</a> </li><li>
<a href="https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/387/TypesOfActivities">Different Types of Physical Activity</a>
</li></ul>
</div>
Monday, November 23, 2015
Monday, November 23, 2015
physical activity,
No
826
Monday, September 7, 2020
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