Exercise is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Moderate exercise 20 minutes each day can help keep you in shape and feeling well.
Tips for Effective Exercise
- Some find that exercising with a partner of with a group of friends provides incentive to keep up with regular exercise.
- You can motivate yourself by setting goals and keeping a record of personal progress.
- You should try a few exercise options and choose what fits you best before starting a routine.
- Choose a place to exercise that close to home or easily accessible.
- Do not choose a location where you will be prone to overheating.
- If going to a gym, look for one with nonslip floors in locker rooms and pools and grab rails in the showers.
- Before starting a routine, you may want to consult your doctor about healthy exercise habits. This includes learning how to monitor your pulse and breathing rate, establishing a target rate, pacing yourself during exercise, timing your exercise with your medications, modifying your routine as you experience different symptoms, and progressing to more challenging exercises in a safe and effective way.
- Before you begin exercising, you should do a warm-up to get your body ready as well as to reduce your symptoms. Warm-ups should be about 5-10 minutes in duration, allowing a little longer time in cold weather. The warm-up should include stretching and movements which increase your heart and breathing rates slightly. A light sweat is an indication of an effective warm up.
- Always stay hydrated and try to stay cool.
- Some suggestions for staying cool:
*In warm weather, avoid exercising between 10am and 4pm, when heat is at its peak.
*Bring cold drinks with you in insulated containers.
*Lower your body temperature with a 30-minute cool soak before and/or after exercise. If there is no pool or tub available, try running cold water over your wrists for 3-5 minutes.
*Dress in layers during changing weather.
*Wear lightweight shoes; when your feet are cool, your body tends to stay cooler.
*Exercise in an air conditioned building or use an electric or handheld mini fan.
*Spritz yourself with water from a spray bottle.
- A few of the myriad of exercise options: Swimming, running/power walking, lifting weights, yoga, balance ball, gentle martial arts, aerobics, adaptive sports (with modified equipment and/or rules), rowing, horseback riding and dancing.
- Some people experience numbness, tingling, or blurred vision during exercise. Symptoms are temporary and should cease within about 35 minutes.
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