No matter how you exercise, you should be proud of yourself that you’re taking positive action for your health. Researchers reveal that just 10-30 minutes of exercise is enough to elevate your mood and diminish feelings of stress and anxiety. Exercise has been proven to reduce depression, help with weight management, build bone density and lower your risk of a range of chronic diseases. Read on for your complete guide to the different types of exercises to promote wellness.
How often should you exercise?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity every week, along with two days of muscle-strengthening exercises. Try to include muscle-strengthening exercises in your workout plan twice a week. If you choose moderate-intensity exercise, you could split it up into about 30 minutes a day, five days a week. You could even break the 30 minutes up into three 10-minute sessions if you’d prefer.
What’s the difference between moderate and vigorous intensity?
Moderate and vigorous intensity is primarily categorized by how much your heart rate is raised. Moderate-intensity exercise raises your heart rate to about 50-70% of your maximum heart rate. Vigorous-intensity exercise elevates your heart rate to about 70-85% of your maximum.
Heart rate monitors
Today, many fitness trackers and smartwatches have handy heart rate monitors that can measure the beats per minute and your resting and working heart rate, so you can keep track if you want to. You can also measure your pulse on your wrist or neck if you don’t have a smartwatch or heart rate monitor. Find your pulse and count the number of beats for 10 seconds before multiplying that number by six to figure out the beats per minute.
Try the ‘talk test’
Other than measuring your heart rate, you can try the talk test to help determine the intensity level of the exercise. With low-intensity exercise, you’re moving your body, but you can still carry on a proper conversation. With moderate or medium intensity, you’re a little more out of breath, and your words might be more intermittent with heavier breathing. With vigorous or high-intensity physical activity, such as running at a fast pace, you won’t be able to carry on a conversation.
Different types of exercise
Some types of exercise ramp up your heart rate, while others involve stretching or targeting particular muscle groups. Most people tend to stick to one or two types of exercise, but there are plenty more to choose from to mix it up a bit. To get the best results, your workout schedule should incorporate aerobic exercise, such as running or swimming, along with strength training, such as weight lifting. Stretching and balance exercises are also key.
Stretching and warm-ups
Most fitness professionals and gym enthusiasts recommend stretching and warming up before a workout. Stretching starts increasing your blood flow and oxygen delivery, activates nerve-muscle connections, and prepares your muscles for the work ahead, which could lower your risk of injury. One of the most important reasons to stretch is to help maintain your flexibility. Stretching your muscles with moves like Child’s pose or knee-to-chest stretches makes them longer and more flexible, enhancing your range of motion and reducing pain.
Try stretching at least three or four times a week, if not daily. Even just a few minutes of stretching and warming up can make a big difference to your workout. Some warm-ups like marching in place or jumping jacks elevate your heart rate enough to count as moderate or vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise.
Examples of stretching and warm-ups include:
- Yoga moves, such as child’s pose or downward dog.
- Stretches like knee-to-chest, seated twist, or glute bridge.
- Dynamic stretches and repetitive motions, such as jumping jacks, marching in place, or arm circles.
Aerobic or cardio
Aerobic exercise or cardio refers to exercises like jumping jacks that elevate your heart rate and breathing and increase blood circulation. As popular examples, think of swimming, running, jumping rope, and cycling at a faster pace. Playing basketball or doing heavy yard work like shoveling also counts as vigorous-intensity physical activity and cardio.
Cardio workouts burn calories and enhance your cardiovascular endurance, which refers to how well your lungs and heart supply the oxygen you need while you exercise at a moderate or high intensity. The better your cardiovascular endurance, the longer you can exercise at a medium or higher intensity before feeling too tired. The benefits of this type of exercise include lowering your blood pressure and blood sugar levels, reducing inflammation, and lowering your risk of chronic diseases.
Resistance strength training
Resistance training increases muscle strength and growth using external resistance, such as weightlifting. The external resistance can be dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, weight machines, resistance bands, or other types of resistance. Resistance training can improve muscle mass, lower your risk of osteoporosis, and improve bone health and quality of life.
When you think of ‘working out,’ you might think of someone lifting weights. Resistance training is a type of strength training because you’re making your muscles stronger over time by upping the challenge with different types of resistance. Strengthening your muscles also stimulates bone growth and improves your balance and posture. You should feel some muscle fatigue when you finish each exercise to make sure you’re effectively training the muscle groups.
Examples of resistance training exercises include:
- Resistance band bicep curl
- Dumbbell bicep curl
- Dumbbell row
- Barbell deadlift
- Chest press machine
- Leg press machine
Bodyweight exercises
When many people talk about strength training, they mean resistance training with external resistance, like dumbbells. However, just like using weights and machines, you can generate strength using your body weight. Bodyweight exercises are a type of strength training involving the use of your own bodyweight to build stronger muscles and enhance muscular endurance. They’re a convenient choice because you can do them pretty much anywhere without the need for fancy equipment or a gym membership.
Examples of bodyweight exercises to power up your muscles:
- Planks and plank variations, such as the side plank
- Push-ups
- Lunges
- Squats and squat variations, such as the Bulgarian split squat
Suspension training
Suspension training is a bodyweight workout where you use straps attached to a stable anchor point to perform movements like rows and split squats. Suspension training has roots in the Navy Seals and challenges your stability and endurance.
HIIT
HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by specifically timed rest periods. You’re generally combining full-body compound movements that elevate your heart rate while only resting as much as is absolutely necessary to continue on to the next round. As the name suggests, HIIT is considered a high or vigorous-intensity type of exercise. If you’re short on time but want to get a killer workout in, HIIT is the way to burn calories, boost your metabolism, and generate results.
Examples of HIIT moves:
- Burpees
- Sprints
- Kettlebell swings
- Mountain climbers
- Flutter kicks
- Plyo push-ups
Circuit training
Circuit training typically combines strength and cardio exercises into a circuit format. You’ll complete each set of movements for a specific time or number of repetitions. Next, you’ll move on to another activity for the same time or reps with little or no rest in between. Circuit training is often performed in groups or classes and targets different muscle groups for a brief whole-body workout.
Some people are confused between circuit training and HIIT. Circuit training can be moderate or high-intensity, whereas HIIT is only high-intensity, hence the name. HIIT sessions are typically shorter around 15 to 30 minutes and circuit training usually lasts around 20-45 minutes.
Flexibility and balance workouts
Flexibility and balance workouts are focused on enhancing your stability and range of motion to help lower your risk of injury and falls. Yoga is an example of a flexibility and balance workout where you can improve your overall athletic performance over time. These movements emphasize stretching, balance, control, and body awareness for a stronger and more flexible physique.
Examples of flexibility and balance workouts include:
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Tai Chi
- Balance exercises like the standing march and one-leg stands
- Heel-to-toe walking as if you’re walking on a tightrope
How do you know which type of workout is best for you?
The right workouts for you depend on your current fitness level, goals, and other individual factors. If you’re not sure what type of workout is right for you, it’s best to visit your healthcare provider, doctor, or physical therapist. Variety is optimal, and you can gradually develop your strength, stamina, and fitness as you continue making progress and exploring different options.
Always listen to your body and choose activities that you enjoy to motivate you to get your physical activity in that week. If you love nature, try a brisk walk or rucking in nature. If you feel motivated at the gym, head to the gym and get those muscles pumping. If you’re not the biggest fan of running, try swimming laps or a dance class instead.
