Patient
Information
Aerobic Exercise
At least 20 minutes 3 times per
week
Any sort of exercise you enjoy will do, as
long as it makes you out of breath and you can do it at least
three times per week. Examples include bicycling, jumping rope,
treadmill, aerobics classes, running, or swimming. “Start and
stop” exercises, such as most sports or weight-lifting, may be a
lot of work, but they don’t help your health with same way.
Most people cannot do aerobic exercise for 20
minutes the first time they try. See how long you can go the first
time, then as you get in better condition you should be able to add
two minutes each week. Do not push yourself so hard that you become
dizzy.
This sort of exercise has many benefits,
including losing weight, lowering your blood pressure, lowering your
“bad” cholesterol (LDL), raising your “good” cholesterol (HDL) and
toning up your muscles.
Even if you do not lose weight, you still get
the other benefits. If you do lose weight, the exercise gets easier
and easier. Many people find that the exercise helps them lose more
weight than diet alone, and losing weight allows them to exercise
more, leading to more weight loss, and so on.
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