Human bodies were not designed to be sedentary. Daily physical exercise is essential for maintaining proper levels of energy and long-term health. Prior to the advent of modern machinery and transportation, daily activities such as washing clothes, working in the fields, and walking to work automatically provided people the healthful benefits of physical exercise. Today, with machines washing our clothes, doing our dishes, transporting us to places, and especially computers allowing us to do our shopping, banking etc., from home, our bodies have started stagnating. The result is weight gain, obesity, and a myriad of health problems.
In these modern times, regular physical exercise is a separate and dedicated task. In order to control body weight and stay healthy, one must commit to exercise and treat it as an essential lifelong chore, just like bathing and grooming.
If you are trying to maintain your weight, one hour of moderate exercise three times a week is all that you need. If you are trying to lose weight, increase your workout frequency to 4-5 times a week. Low-impact aerobics, brisk walking or jogging, treadmill, elliptical, and stepper are all good choices for getting a good cardiovascular workout. However, not all exercises and equipment are good for everyone. Stepping machines may be hard on the knees for some people. Jogging may be hard on the feet for others. You should stick with the exercise that gives you least discomfort.
You can also tone your body and increase muscle strength by adding 15-20 minutes of weight training to your workout. However, you need to be careful with what type of equipment and routines to use. If you are experiencing back pain or other discomfort, you should discontinue the use of the problem equipment.
Regular exercise and a sensible diet will keep unnecessary pounds at bay and provide good health.
About the Author:
A Computer Systems Engineer who worked for a financial services institution, Amita Vadlamudi possesses experience in UNIX systems, Mainframes, Assembler, Java, and other software. Amita Vadlamudi is committed to following a regular exercise program and maintaining good health. She regularly goes to the gym and occasionally enjoys swimming and hiking.