Regular Physical Activity and Exercise

Regular physical activity and exercise promotes health, prevents disease, and reduces/controls/manages stress. It is important to consider changes in lifestyle if we are not already engaged in regular physical activity. From a biological perspective exercise is classified into aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen). From an operational viewpoint exercise is classified into interval training, continuous training, and circuit training. Various degrees of competitiveness are applied in practical exercise. Conditioning the body and mind in order to prepare for exercise is critical to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Thus, the focus is on initiating and sustaining a regular physical activity or exercise program. A few terms are defined along with five websites to explore. Worksheets include: (1) enhancing self-awareness about physical activity and exercise levels, (2) calculating appropriate target heart-rate ranges, and (3) five steps toward initiation and sustenance of a physical activity or exercise program.