Do you have to work long hours sitting in front of your laptop? Or do you have to do a sedentary job at office all the time? Whatever, when you're back home do you flop into your couch and take to telly, munching at chips or gobbling down snacks? If you do, then look in the mirror -- you are getting fat; have a feel of yourself -- you are getting lethargic and losing your strength. You need to bring some change in your lifestyle; add a dose of thirty-minute exercise to the daily routine and you are reinvigorated. Exercise makes you feel very relaxed and it helps to stimulate different kinds of chemicals in your brain to make you feel cheerful.

An obvious result of exercising regularly is that you can burn your calories. Working out on a regular basis helps prevent obesity and shape your figure well; you look fit, chic and smart. After all, who does not want a well-built physique?

Research has established that for a normal human being a 10% weight gain may result in a rise in systolic pressure by about 6mmmHg and diastolic pressure by 4mmHg. While excess weight can result in many complications including severe heart diseases, you can easily get rid of it by taking regular exercise such as brisk walking, cycling and swimming.

Exercising regularly helps to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and it also contributes to decreasing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and thus enables your blood to flow smoothly. Moreover exercise helps prevent type 2 diabetics, osteoporosis and some types of cancers.

Another benefit of exercising is that it helps you breathe easily increasing efficient circulation of blood carrying oxygen through your heart and blood vessels. It also helps you have a sound sleep at night.

Now that you know the benefits of exercising regularly, you should start doing it from today. However, do not start with vigorous working out in the early days of exercise. Begin your physical exercises with easy movements and then gradually go for difficult moves.

Warm-ups

Perform warm ups, at the beginning of your each day of exercise, such as touching the floor with your palm while bending your knees slightly or touching the wall which is a foot away from you while your heels are completely flat. You can perform these moves for about 20 to 40 times. Warm ups increase your body temperature. At the same time your muscles, tendons and ligaments will become flexible and you can easily stretch your arms and legs without injuring them. Moreover, warm ups enable your heart to pump faster which in turn increases blood flow in your muscles.

Aerobic Exercise

By performing aerobic exercise you can increase your ability to consume oxygen more effectively, your body's metabolism increasing, as a result. After spending some time warming up, try some moderate and then intense exercise for about 20 to 30 minutes. There are many types of aerobic exercises such as Jazzercise, which is an exercise based on Jazz, a popular dance. The two basic movements of Jazzercise involve you standing with your feet apart in one case and keeping your feet together in the other.

Aerobic exercise also includes stretches and movements that are floor based. These movements are really good for those who are overweight and old and they are particularly suitable for pregnant women. There are more energetic movements in aerobics which include lifting yourself off the ground i.e. jogging etc. These exercises help to release some hormones which tend to keep you refreshed and help you to sleep well.

However, intense aerobics requires very high stamina so it is wise not to do these moves in your initial aerobics sessions. Moreover, if you had or have heart and respiratory problems or difficulties with your bone joints and if you have undergone any sort of operations recently then it is recommended you do not do any kind of aerobics. Also, if you are receiving any kind of treatment, consult with your doctor before doing aerobics. Once you are free from any kind of health hazard, you can easily hop into your track suits and go to a nearby aerobics center or perform the movements in your house.

Exercises Using Fitness Equipment

If you think that you need some support for doing exercises you can go to a gym that is close to your house. You will find a trainer there who can guide you to do exercises with some complicated machines and you can also attain your target weight early. On the other hand you can buy fitness equipment and perform regular exercise in your house maintaining a routine. Those who cannot extract some time out of their busy schedules often go for buying a machine and working out at home. Some favorite choices for such cardio equipment include stationary bikes and treadmills. You can always do exercise using these types of equipment while watching your favorite television program. It is recommended you have an instructor training you with these complicated machines so that you do not put yourself at strain at first. It is always better to start slow on the treadmill and then, gradually, increase your speed with time. Try to avoid those machines that have high features since they might be unnecessarily expensive and not user friendly.

Dancing

Those who have great passion for dancing can turn on the music player and dance instead of working out. Try different dance movements which would hit different body parts so that you can shape your body well. Also, you can join salsa or classical dance classes in any dance schools or cultural centers to maintain a regular routine.

Some important tips for doing exercise

1. Do not take exercise abruptly.

2. Go for slow stretching legs and arms after intense workouts and then end your session.

3. You need to cool down gradually after vigorous exercises.

4. You should be doing the kind of exercise that you like to do. If you do not like normal exercises or dancing you can always go for swimming and other sports but the main thing is that you need to enjoy what you are doing.

5. Always have a scheduled time for exercise. If you are not doing exercises everyday then maintain a sequence and try to follow it every week. Moreover try to stick with the duration you spend in doing exercise.

6. Maintain a healthy diet. Go for natural fruit drinks which would make you gain energy.

7. You can always plan the exercise movements ahead of time so that you do not get confused while doing exercises.

ET Health Desk