|
Q: IS EXERCISE SAFE?
A: The potential health benefits of exercise greatly outweigh the risk, although there is a very slight increased risk
of death due to heart attack during vigorous exercise. Consult your doctor first if you have any concerns, have been sedentary,
are overweight, are middle-age or older or have a medical condition.
Q: CAN MODERATE TO LOW-INTENSITY ACTIVITY BRING BENEFITS?
A: Most definitely. When done for as little as 30 minutes a day, activities such as pleasure walking, climbing stairs,
gardening, yard work, moderate to heavy housework, dancing and home exercise have been shown to be beneficial. Again, doing
anything is better than nothing.
Q: WHAT TYPE OF ACTIVITY IS BEST FOR IMPROVING THE FITNESS OF YOUR HEART AND LUNGS?
A: More vigorous aerobic activities such as brisk walking, running, swimming, bicycling, roller-skating, and jumping rope--done
three to five times a week for 20-60 minutes--are best.
Q: IF I EXERCISE, WILL I PREVENT HEART DISEASE?
A: Physical inactivity, along with cigarette smoking, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol, is one of the major
modifiable risk factors for heart attack. There is no guarantee that you will not get heart disease, however, your chances
of heart disease developing are less if you avoid the risk factors.
Q: HOW MUCH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS ENOUGH?
A: If you are inactive, doing anything is better than nothing! Studies show that people who have a low fitness level are
much more likely to die early than people who have achieved even a moderate level of fitness. If you want to exceed a moderate
level of fitness, you need to exercise three to four times a week for 20 to 60 minutes at 60-90 percent of your maximum heart
rate.
Q: I HAVE BEEN INACTIVE FOR YEARS, SHOULDN'T I SEE A DOCTOR BEFORE I START BECOMING PHYSICALLY ACTIVE?
A: People middle-aged or older who are inactive and at high risk for heart disease or who already have a medical condition
should seek medical advice before they start or significantly increase their physical activity. Most apparently healthy people
of any age can safely engage in moderate levels of physical activity (e.g. moderate walking, gardening, yard work) without
prior medical consultation
Q: WHAT'S THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN AMERICA?
A: Cardiovascular disease, CVD was responsible for 960,000 deaths in America last year, accounting for over 41.3% of all
deaths.
Q: WHAT PERCENTAGE OF AMERICAN ADULTS GETS ENOUGH EXERCISE TO ACHIEVE CARDIOVASULAR FITNESS?
A: Only 22%. 53% get some exercise, but not regularly or intensely enough to protect their hearts, 25% aren't active at
all.
Q: IS TENNIS A GOOD EXERCISE?
A: Tennis gives the same benefits as any other exercise; that is, lowered fat, lowered resting heart rate, lowered blood
pressure, etc. It has aerobic and anaerobic components so that you get the best of both exercise worlds. It is NOT, however,
one of the better aerobic exercises because it is too stop-and-go. So if you're looking for a fat-burning exercise, tennis
may not be the MOST EFFECTIVE for accomplishing this. The steadier non-stop exercises, such as jogging, walking, and cycling
are the better fat burners.
|
