Fitness
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why should I exercise?
A: There are a number of reasons, both short term and long term, to engage in physical activity. In the short term, physical activity can help reduce feelings of depression and anxiety, control weight, and promote psychological well-being. In the long term, physically active people have a lower risk of dying prematurely, and of developing diseases like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer. It also helps to build healthy bones, muscles, and joints to prevent injuries.
Q: How long do I have to exercise to get these benefits?
A: The Surgeon General recommends 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise on most, or all, days of the week. Moderate intensity exercise includes walking 2 miles in 30 minutes, running 1.5 miles in 15 minutes, bicycling 5 miles in 30 minutes, or playing basketball for 15-20 minutes. This is just for health, though. If you have other goals, you may need a different plan.
Q: I want to improve my cardiovascular fitness. Do I have to run?
A: No. While running is one way to become more fit, it is not the only way. Any movement that gets your heart rate up and makes you breathe harder will increase your fitness level. Some suggestions include dancing, swimming, biking, or rowing. The most important thing is to choose something you like and stick with it.
Q: How hard do I have to work to increase my fitness level?
A: If you're healthy you can improve your cardiovascular fitness by staying in a heart rate zone of 55-90% of your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate can be estimated by subtracting your age from 220. Depending on your current fitness level, choose a target heart rate that is comfortable for you. Another easy test to find out if you're working hard enough is called the "talk test". You want to be working hard enough that you can't sing, but not so hard that you can't talk.
Q: Is one kind of aerobic activity better for weight loss than others?
A: Yes and no. Generally speaking, activities that require you to carry your own weight, such as walking or stair climbing, use more calories than those that support your weight for you, like biking. However, the most important part of weight loss is just doing something. So, if you can't stand walking, but you love to bike, then biking is your answer because it's far better than doing nothing at all. You may just have to do it a little longer to burn the same amount of calories. You also want to be sure to choose something that you like to do and will be able to stick with.
Q: Do I need a sports drink?
A: Probably not. Unless you're going to be doing aerobic activities for more than an hour, sports drinks don't help you. Water is a great choice for staying hydrated. Just remember to drink it!
SIX TIPS ON AVOIDING THE "FRESHMAN 15"
Preventing Freshman Weight Gain
Like most freshmen you will experience changes in diet, schedule, and physical activity when you leave home for the first time. Here are some tips on how to stay healthy during your college years.
Every individual has a different stress comfort level. What may seem hectic and out of control to one person is routine to another. If you feel that you spend too much time at an uncomfortable level of stress, please call the NJC Health Center at 521-6647 for information on campus counseling options.
Feeling Blue or Anxious?
Exercise can help!
Research shows:
What kind of exercise and how much is necessary?
Are there any other benefits?
Sources:
Landers, D.M. "The Influence of Exercise on Mental Health". The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sport's Research Digest, Series 2 (12).
Brehm, B.A. "Maximizing the Psychological Benefits of Physical Activity". ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, 4(6): 7-11, 2000.
Q: Why should I exercise?
A: There are a number of reasons, both short term and long term, to engage in physical activity. In the short term, physical activity can help reduce feelings of depression and anxiety, control weight, and promote psychological well-being. In the long term, physically active people have a lower risk of dying prematurely, and of developing diseases like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer. It also helps to build healthy bones, muscles, and joints to prevent injuries.
Q: How long do I have to exercise to get these benefits?
A: The Surgeon General recommends 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise on most, or all, days of the week. Moderate intensity exercise includes walking 2 miles in 30 minutes, running 1.5 miles in 15 minutes, bicycling 5 miles in 30 minutes, or playing basketball for 15-20 minutes. This is just for health, though. If you have other goals, you may need a different plan.
Q: I want to improve my cardiovascular fitness. Do I have to run?
A: No. While running is one way to become more fit, it is not the only way. Any movement that gets your heart rate up and makes you breathe harder will increase your fitness level. Some suggestions include dancing, swimming, biking, or rowing. The most important thing is to choose something you like and stick with it.
Q: How hard do I have to work to increase my fitness level?
A: If you're healthy you can improve your cardiovascular fitness by staying in a heart rate zone of 55-90% of your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate can be estimated by subtracting your age from 220. Depending on your current fitness level, choose a target heart rate that is comfortable for you. Another easy test to find out if you're working hard enough is called the "talk test". You want to be working hard enough that you can't sing, but not so hard that you can't talk.
Q: Is one kind of aerobic activity better for weight loss than others?
A: Yes and no. Generally speaking, activities that require you to carry your own weight, such as walking or stair climbing, use more calories than those that support your weight for you, like biking. However, the most important part of weight loss is just doing something. So, if you can't stand walking, but you love to bike, then biking is your answer because it's far better than doing nothing at all. You may just have to do it a little longer to burn the same amount of calories. You also want to be sure to choose something that you like to do and will be able to stick with.
Q: Do I need a sports drink?
A: Probably not. Unless you're going to be doing aerobic activities for more than an hour, sports drinks don't help you. Water is a great choice for staying hydrated. Just remember to drink it!
SIX TIPS ON AVOIDING THE "FRESHMAN 15"
Preventing Freshman Weight Gain
Like most freshmen you will experience changes in diet, schedule, and physical activity when you leave home for the first time. Here are some tips on how to stay healthy during your college years.
- Maintain regular exercise-Do anything - walk, run, workout at the Event Center, swim, bike - just move your body!
- Don't skip meals! you'll overeat later.
- Cut down on fast food.
- Limit alcohol consumption - along with the late night snacks that follow.
- Remember what your mother told you, "Eat your fruits and veggies."
Every individual has a different stress comfort level. What may seem hectic and out of control to one person is routine to another. If you feel that you spend too much time at an uncomfortable level of stress, please call the NJC Health Center at 521-6647 for information on campus counseling options.
Exercise can help!
Research shows:
- Exercise decreases depression after only 1 session, and it only gets better from there. Vigorous exercise several times a week for 9 weeks produced an even greater improvement in depressive symptoms.
- Anxiety is reduced for up to 6 hours after exercise. Regular aerobic exercise for a minimum of 10 weeks gave people considerable relief from anxiety.
- In some cases, exercise had an effect that was as big as the effect of commonly prescribed drugs and other treatments for anxiety and depression!
What kind of exercise and how much is necessary?
- Find an exercise that you enjoy. Remember that exercise is anything that involves repeated motion in large muscles. That means it can be playing a sport, rowing a boat on the lake, or the more traditional running and biking exercises.
- Do it where you feel comfortable. You don't have to be cooped up in the gym if you love being outside. If you like being in a group, find a group activity, but if you want to be alone, you can do that too.
- Be vigorous if you can. Research shows that more vigorous activities offer greater relief than moderate ones. So, if your fitness level permits, push yourself a little.
- Do it regularly. While it's true that you see benefits after the first session, these are known as acute benefits. For these to carry over into the days and months to come, you need to keep it up. The good news is that the benefits are additive, so the chronic benefit is bigger. Just think of it as stoking the fire!
Are there any other benefits?
- Exercise gives you a healthier body that is better equipped to deal with stress.
- It's associated with positive self-esteem.
- It will probably improve your sleep.
Sources:
Landers, D.M. "The Influence of Exercise on Mental Health". The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sport's Research Digest, Series 2 (12).
Brehm, B.A. "Maximizing the Psychological Benefits of Physical Activity". ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, 4(6): 7-11, 2000.