Although most of us know that exercising is good for the body as well as the mind and that it greatly reduce the risk of disease and illness, the very thought of exercising makes us whimper. You can practice any form of exercise that you enjoy doing, any activity that gradually increases your heart rate such as swimming, aerobics, jogging, climbing the stairs, or brisk walking. It could even be walking or cycling to the local store instead of driving.
Walking as a form of exercise is considered very safe and suitable for the elderly. However, one must consult a doctor to find out which kind of exercises suit his age or health condition.
Exercise is mainly done to increase the cardiovascular fitness, strength, endurance and flexibility of the individual. Each exercise session should include a warm up session, stretching, followed by aerobic exercises, cooling down and finally another session of easy stretching. For example, if you want to take up walking as an exercise, then walking at a slow pace can serve the purpose of both warming up and cooling down.
Warming up should be done for about 5 to 10 minutes at a very low pace to increases the blood flow to the muscles and also to decreases the chances of injuries to the muscles and joints. Cooling down should also be done for about 5 to 10 minutes at a very low pace to prevents blood deposition in your legs or other extremities, which can be extremely painful. Stretching reduces the risk of injury and the problem of stiffness and improves flexibility. Never stretch muscles before they you warm up, otherwise, this could injure your muscles. Remember to gradually increase the length of time that you exercise before increasing the intensity.