If exercise could be bottled, it would be the most prescribed drug in the world. Exercise is the fountain of youth!

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"Fitness can neither be bought nor bestowed; like honor, it must be earned" ​

Author unknown

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Physical fitness is comprised of several different components including aerobic (or cardiovascular) muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body fat composition. Some fitness experts consider stress management to be a component of fitness as well.

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Although all of these components are important for complete fitness and health, aerobic exercise is often considered the most important. Aerobic exercise affects the cardiovascular system and helps decrease the risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity, and diabetes more than any of the other components of fitness.Performing aerobic exercise is especially important in improving heart, lung, blood vessel and metabolic health. If you can only do one thing, make sure that you perform some type of aerobic exercise at least three times at week. If you will walk for 20 to 30 minutes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays then you will improve your health. If you cannot walk for an entire 20 minutes, then start out with 5 or 10 minutes. Add 1 or 2 minutes each week, and before you know it you will be walking 20 minutes!

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After you have achieved the goal of walking three days a week, add some weight training or calisthenics. Performing resistance exercises like these will improve muscle tone, add muscular strength and endurance, increase bone density and reduce your risk of diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

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Finish off your walking and resistance training session with a nice relaxing full body stretch. Becoming more flexible will reduce your risk of neck and back pain and will decrease your risk of future injury.

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Before embarking on an exercise program, it is important to know if you are physically fit enough to exercise. Click on the button below to take the Par-Que test.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To learn more about the basics of exercise click here:

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Below is a yoga video that I made a few years ago.  If you do yoga regularly you will improve your muscular endurance, flexibility and lower your stress level. If you don't have a lot of time, just do the first part of the video: you will be able to follow me in a very gentle stretch sequence that will help relax tight muscles. If you feel stressed, then just do the last part of the yoga video for a nice relaxation session that includes deep breathing, progressive relaxation and guided imagery.  Hint, if the video is too small, click in the little box at the bottom right next to the You Tube icon to make it full screen.