Being physically active is a crucial part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Exercise provides numerous benefits for both the body and the mind, yet its positive effects are often underestimated. The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) recommends that adults complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity every week. However, only 46% of Canadian adults meet this recommendation (CSEP Guidelines).

Exercise has many benefits: reduced risk of premature mortality, decreased symptoms of depression, improved mobility, better sleep quality, enhanced disease prevention, and improved cognitive function.

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, exercise and physical activity are not the same thing. Physical activity refers to any movement that requires energy expenditure, such as standing, walking, or doing household chores. Exercise, on the other hand, is structured, planned, and repetitive physical activity performed with the goal of improving or maintaining physical fitness. In other words, all exercise is physical activity, but not all physical activity is exercise.

There are several different types of exercise, each serving a unique purpose depending on a person’s goals and needs. Aerobic exercise, or cardiovascular exercise, focuses on improving the efficiency of the heart and lungs. Common examples include running, swimming, and cycling. Strength training is designed to increase muscle size and strength through hypertrophy, with exercises such as push-ups, squats, and weightlifting. Balance training helps improve stability and reduce the risk of falls, with exercises like single-leg stands, heel-to-toe walking, and heel raises. Finally, flexibility training helps lengthen muscles and improve joint range of motion through activities like yoga, dynamic stretching, and the splits.

This exercise program focuses on aerobic exercise because of its numerous health benefits. Aerobic training improves cardiovascular endurance by increasing your maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max), allowing your body to use oxygen more effectively during physical activity.

It also increases your cardiovascular efficiency. Maximum heart rate (HRmax) is a common way to prescribe exercise intensity. Aerobic exercise is ideal for improving endurance, and it can easily be combined with other forms of exercise, such as flexibility or balance training, to create a well-rounded fitness program.

When designing an exercise program, it is helpful to follow the FITT-VP principle, which stands for frequency, intensity, time, type, volume, and progression.

For beginners, exercising two to three days per week is a good starting point, as it allows time to build both fitness and routine. The intensity should be moderate, around 60% of your estimated HRmax. A simple way to estimate HRmax is by subtracting your age from 220. Each workout should last approximately 30-40 minutes, with the goal of gradually increasing either the duration or the number of weekly sessions until you reach the recommended 150 minutes per week.

Volume refers to the total amount of exercise completed over a week. For aerobic exercise, this can be estimated by multiplying the frequency of workouts by the duration of each session. As fitness improves, progression becomes essential. Without gradually increasing the workload, improvements will eventually plateau. Progression can be achieved by increasing workout duration, frequency, or intensity. It can also involve changing the workout itself, such as incorporating intervals by alternating between running and short bursts of sprinting. Because everyone has different goals and fitness levels, exercise programs should always be adjusted to meet individual needs rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach.

Recovery is just as important as the exercise itself. Taking rest days, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and consuming adequate nutrients allow the body to repair and become stronger while reducing the risk of injury and overtraining. When the body exercises, the muscle fibers in the body tear and become damaged, so when the body works to rebuild itself, it rebuilds stronger in order to prepare for the next session. When not given adequate time to repair, the muscles become weak. It is recommended that you take at least 24 hours to rest after exercising, and you should alternate which muscle group you work on every 48 hours.

Before beginning any workout, it is important to perform a proper warm-up. Warming up prepares the muscles for exercise, increases blood flow, and helps reduce the risk of injury. A warm-up should include dynamic movements that closely resemble the exercises performed during the main workout. For example, if the workout involves running, high knees or leg swings are excellent warm-up exercises.

After completing the workout, it is equally important to perform a cool-down rather than stopping abruptly. A cool-down gradually lowers the heart rate, reduces muscle stiffness, and helps decrease the risk of injury. Static stretching is ideal during this stage because the muscles are warm, allowing for a greater range of motion and improved flexibility over time.

When choosing an exercise, it is important to select activities that are both enjoyable and easily accessible. Enjoying the activity makes it much easier to stay motivated and maintain a consistent routine. Choosing a location close to home can also reduce barriers such as long commutes. It is also helpful to have both indoor and outdoor exercise options so that weather does not interfere with maintaining an active lifestyle. Throughout every workout, it is important to monitor your symptoms and exercise intensity to avoid overexertion and injury. Although getting started can feel challenging, regular exercise becomes easier over time as healthy habits are established.

Overall, aerobic exercise provides incredible benefits by strengthening the heart and lungs, improving mental health through the release of endorphins, enhancing disease prevention, and increasing overall quality of life. By starting gradually and progressing at a comfortable pace, anyone can successfully build a sustainable exercise routine. There is no better time than now to begin your journey towards a healthier lifestyle.