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Warm-up and cool down:

There are a variety of ways to prepare your body for exercise. Five to ten minutes of light cardiovascular exercise such as walking is typically sufficient as a general warm-up when performing a cardiovascular or aerobic routine. This can be followed or preceded by some light stretches for the major muscle groups. When performing a strength training routine it is best to follow the general cardiovascular warm-up with some muscle-specific activities such as stretching and a light set of 15 repetitions for each muscle group to be trained.

Following cardiovascular exercise, be sure to keep moving to allow your blood flow to re-adjust. During exercise, blood flow to your legs increases. If you stop exercise suddenly the blood may "pool" in your legs causing you to feel dizzy and faint. To prevent this, take 3-5 minutes at the end of your session to slow down your pace and then follow that with some stretching for your lower body.

  • Balance: Perform both static (standing still) and dynamic (moving) balance exercises on most days of the week progressing from less challenging to more challenging as balance ability improves. View Balance demonstration.
  • Cardiovascular endurance: Accumulate 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most, preferably all, days of the week. The 30 minutes can be done in shorter bouts (10 min) throughout the day and will provide the same health and fitness benefits as doing it all at once as long as the intensities are equal. Moderate intensity means a heart rate of 50-70% of your age-predicted maximal heart rate, calculated by subtracting your age from the number 220. This zone is both safe and effective for the majority of individuals. Another way to determine if your intensity is appropriate is the Talk-Sing Test. You should be able to carry on a light conversation with a partner while you exercise without undue shortness of breath. If you find yourself struggling to keep breathing during a light conversation or if you can't continue a conversation then the intensity is a little too hard. However, if you could sing while exercising then the intensity is too easy.
  • Flexibility: Perform 2-3 stretches for all the major muscle groups on most, preferably all, days of the week. Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds without bouncing. After a cardiovascular warm-up or following a workout are the best times to work on flexibility as your muscles are warm and more pliable ("stretchy"). View Flexibility demonstration.
  • Muscle strength: Perform 1-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions of muscle strengthening exercises for all the major muscle groups 2-3 days per week. The major muscle groups include the thighs (front of upper leg), hamstrings (back of upper leg), calves (back of lower leg), buttocks (you know where they are), chest, back, shoulders, abdominals, biceps (front of upper arm) and triceps (back of upper arm). View Strength demonstration.

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