HOW MUCH EXERCISE IS ENOUGH EXERCISE?     

To safely answer this question, I need to say that how much you exercise is between you and your doctor and you should always consult with a healthcare professional before you start an exercise program.  It should also go without saying that anytime you experience abnormal pain or distress during an exercise session you should stop exercising and seek professional help.

Since the day I completed my Master of Science degree at Michigan State University (about 35 years ago), exercise standards have flip-flopped more times than I can remember.  When I completed my fitness leader certification at Doctors' Memorial Hospital of Coral Gables in 1990, everything revolved around aerobic (cardiorespiratory) fitness.  When I wrote the book titled Lumbopelvic Disorders in 2007, I was happy to see that health and fitness were being approached more holistically and issues that related to strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, balance, and coordination were being given more attention.

Based on recent research, it appears that strenuous exercise twice a week for about 45 minutes per session will be enough to improve your health and fitness, and strenuous exercise three times a week for about 45 minutes per session is even better.  Strenuous implies your heart and lungs are working harder than normal and you are working up at least a light sweat.  A 45-minute session should have about 45 minutes of continuous movement.  Brief pauses to get water or listen to instructions are not a problem, but a 45-minute session that includes 20 minutes of standing-around time should not be considered 45 minutes of continuous exercise.

Just because some exercise is good does not always mean that more exercise is better.  If you reach a point where you cannot talk because you are breathing too hard, your exercise session is probably too strenuous.  Chronic musculoskeletal pain and chronic fatigue may also indicate your exercise program is too strenuous.  You must also have adequate rest periods between exercise sessions so your body has time to make beneficial changes, such as an increase in muscle tissue.  If you do not give your body enough time to rest between exercise sessions, you may become less fit rather than more fit and your muscles may weaken rather than strengthen.

How you arrange your exercise sessions will depend on your schedule and whether you want to exercise with a tappercise class or exercise at home on a tap board or tap mat.  If you are new to tappercise and you have a chance to join a tappercise class, taking a class one or two days a week and doing the rest of your exercising at home is a good way to get started.

If you exercise at home, do slow, easy steps for about 10 minutes to warm up, exercise at a moderate pace for about 30 minutes, and do slow, easy steps for about 5 minutes to cool down.  Stopping briefly at least once during your workout and drinking water or some other fluid that will help you avoid dehydration will help you maintain normal body functions and avoid heat exhaustion.  Since thirst is not a reliable indicator that you need additional fluids when you exercise, I drink fluids before, during, and after exercise whether I’m thirsty or not.

When people who know they need to exercise tell me they can’t fit exercise into their busy schedules, I’m reminded of a joke I saw on the Internet where a doctor tells his patient, “Which fits your schedule better, exercising two or three days a week or being dead seven days a week?  In reality, exercise cannot guarantee anyone they will live longer because there are many factors related to longevity that have nothing to do with health and fitness, such as natural or manmade disasters.  Perhaps the most predictable benefit from exercise is that most people feel better when they exercise than when they don’t exercise.  For me, quality of life and the fact I enjoy tapping are the main reasons I’m so passionate about tappercise.  The possibility or probability that tappercise will increase my longevity is just an added benefit.   

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