Exercise is an essential daily practice no matter your age, size, body type, or healthcare goals. But it’s not just about how much you exercise. A successful and efficient exercise routine will involve many other factors, such as the type of exercise, how long and how frequently, and, possibly most important, what your diet and nutrition look like.
As a previous Exercise Science major, exercise has been a passion of mine for decades. Over the years, I have modified what I learned to fit a more Eastern philosophy, finding balance in “challenging without overdoing”. And although I have learned the hard way at times, I can honestly say that at 43, I am in one of the best shapes of my life and practically as flexible and strong as I was in my 20s. The main difference is that I have learned what works best for my body and how to listen to it (rather than push through it). And despite more modifications and rest days, I continue to maintain a healthy weight, strong body, and sustainable energy.
Movement is essential for our body, mind, and spirit. Exercise is no magic pill, but it has a plethora of health benefits and real results, and did I mention it is free?? Here are some of the major health benefits you can obtain with regular exercise.
Health Benefits of Regular Exercise
- Reduces stress
- Boosts mood, energy, and confidence
- Builds and sustains muscles (this becomes especially important after 40)
- Builds and sustains bones (this also becomes extremely important after 40, especially for women)
- Lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels
- Reduces risk for cardiac disease
- Reduces risk for metabolic disorders (diabetes, hypothyroidism, etc) and other chronic diseases
- Reduces the risk of certain cancers
- Improves circulation, metabolism, and digestion
- Strengthens immunity
- Improves brain health and supports memory, focus, concentration, and a sharp intellect
- Reduces risk for stroke, Alzheimer’s, and dementia
- Improves sleep and supports healthy sleep cycles
- Supports weight loss and healthy weight management
- Supports detoxification
One of the best things about exercise is that it is never too late to start or to improve your health—no matter your age, weight, or physical ability. Starting small can be a great place to begin, while adding onto your goals each month or week. As you notice positive changes in your energy, mood, and strength, I have much faith that you will be encouraged to keep moving forward. And by incorporating these exercise tips into your routine, you can ensure you will get the most out of your time and efforts!
But before we get to the good stuff, I just wanted to offer a few words of wisdom and support:
- No excuses! There are exercise options for just about everyone, including walking, chair exercise routines, slow flow Yoga, PT exercises, gentle ROM (range of motion) exercises, and free YouTube exercise videos for all ages and healthcare needs.
- If you don’t use it, you lose it! Daily exercise becomes more important with age to keep our muscles, bones, joints, brains, and hearts supple, strong, and healthy—and to prevent chronic disease.
- A healthy exercise routine should leave you feeling strong and energized, rather than excessively sore, tired, depleted, or in pain—if you fall into the latter category, you may need to make some changes.
Keep reading to get the most from your exercise routine and see (and feel) real results!
12 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Exercise Routine
1. Keep your diet healthy; avoid junk food rewards and overeating.
This may be the most important recommendation, as well as the most commonly made mistake people make. If you are exercising regularly and not losing weight or not seeing the results you should, this may be a major reason.
So what exactly is this major mistake? Allowing yourself to eat junkier as a reward for exercising. For example, I once had a client mention that she allows herself a Pepsi or candy bar after working out as a special treat. Eeek! This not only adds in more calories than she likely burned, but the negative effects of eating these types of foods will negate the healthy effects of the exercise.
Another common dietary mistake is eating more calories overall to offset the increased hunger from exercise. If you are looking to lose or maintain weight but end up eating twice as much, then you may end up gaining instead. If your goal is to build lean muscle, then you may need to eat more, but in the form of lean protein and fiber, and not refined carbs, unhealthy sweets, or processed foods.
To put it more clearly, to see results from a healthy exercise routine, diet makes up for about 80% of the success rate. If you are exercising but continuing an unhealthy, processed, or excessive diet, then you are likely missing out on many of the amazing health benefits of exercise.
2. Fuel your body properly to build muscle and avoid depletion.
If your workout is moderate to high in intensity, it is important to intelligently fuel your body before and (especially) after. Having a small amount of complex carbohydrates before a workout is useful for supporting energy, and having lean protein and complex carbs post-workout is essential for supporting muscle strength, growth, and repair, and avoiding muscle soreness and wasting.
The pre-workout carbs should be taken about 30 minutes before your workout. Some good options would be a piece of fruit, a small cup of coconut water, a few spoonfuls of homemade yogurt, or a piece of 100% wholegrain toast with nut or seed butter. You do not need much, as too much can have the opposite effect, leaving you feeling heavy, lethargic, nauseous, or full.
Make sure to refuel within 60 minutes post-workout with at least 20 grams of lean protein and a small amount of healthy complex carbs. Some good options could be beans and rice, nuts and seeds, hummus with veggies, scrambled eggs with sweet potatoes, quinoa, homemade Greek yogurt, dairy (if suitable), or lean meat or fish (if suitable).
3. Get at least 150 minutes of cardio exercise each week.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), to really receive the benefits of exercise, you need to get at least 150 minutes of cardio exercise each week. Further, it is more beneficial and effective to spread out this time (e.g. five 30-minute sessions), rather than one or two long sessions.
So, what is needed for exercise to be considered cardio? Ideally, you should be getting your heart rate up to 50% to 85% of your maximum heart rate. This is an average of 85 to 160 bpm. For all those Pitta types who want to know your exact numbers, you can use this formula:
- 220 – Age = maximum heart rate (MHR)
- MHR x .5 = low end of range
- MHR x .85 = high end of range
NOTE: These numbers were provided by the AHA. To ensure you are staying in your “70% zone” (see #9 below), it may be best to keep the high end of your heart rate to a moderate level of around 130 to 140.
The best types of cardio will be low impact (no jumping or jogging), not too intense or extreme, and hopefully enjoyable. Here are some great options to get started:
- Brisk walks
- Bike rides
- Low-impact HIIT routines
- Swimming
- Hiking
- Dancing
- Elliptical machine
- Rowing machine
- Stair climbing machine
4. Don’t forget strength training!
Although cardio exercise offers many benefits, routine strength training is equally important. This type of exercise focuses more on building strength, muscle, and bone density rather than burning calories. As you can imagine, this becomes even more important as you get older to avoid muscle wasting and bone loss.
A general recommendation for strength training is to perform at least two sessions each week. So if you are exercising for 30 minutes five days a week, you should use light weights or perform body resistance exercises (squats, lunges, plank, etc) for at least two of these sessions. Since these sessions are more targeted on building muscle, taking in a decent dose of protein after will be important for supporting strength and recovery.
5. Multiple short sessions are more effective than one long session.
The more you can spread out your exercise sessions, the more results you will see. Why? Because each time you exercise, whether for 10 minutes or 60 minutes, you are boosting your metabolism, and not just during your exercise session, but for many hours after.
So if you can spread your 150 minutes of exercise throughout 5 to 6 days, then you will automatically boost your metabolism almost every day of the week. If it works for your schedule, you can even take it a step further by doing two 15-minute sessions, five days a week.
6. Keep a weekly schedule for consistency and ease.
If you struggle with consistency when it comes to your exercise goals, making a set schedule each week is an amazing way to support success! Knowing what you are doing each day will create routine and repetition, which our bodies (and minds) tend to do best with. It also takes the guesswork out of your exercise regimen, allowing more ease and a more thoughtful approach to meeting your goals.
An ideal exercise schedule will list:
- Days and times for each exercise session
- The exercise activity for each day
- Average length of time
It should include a variety of cardio and strength training exercises, and, possibly most important, it should be realistic and accessible for your schedule!
Here is an example:
Click here for a printable Weekly Exercise Chart template to create your own exercise routine TODAY!
7. Walking: The universal exercise!
Did you know that walking is considered the best exercise in Ayurveda? It is not too surprising since it works your full body, allows you to get a healing dose of fresh air (aka Prana), is suitable for all dosha types (i.e. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), and is safe and gentle enough for almost any individual. Not to mention it is free and extremely accessible!
If you choose walking as your exercise, here are a few tips:
- Don’t go too slow – unless it’s your rest day, it is recommended to get the heart pumping to at least 100 bpm.
- Rotate with strength training exercises – walking is wonderful, but make sure to also get at least two strength training sessions in each week to keep your muscles and bones strong.
- Walk after a meal to support digestion – taking a walk after eating is an amazing way to stimulate digestion and metabolism; this becomes extra important after larger meals!
- Get off your electronics – use this time to be present, observe your environment, inhale fresh air, and quiet your mind:)
8. The best, most efficient times for exercise.
Of course, the very best time for exercise is when it is accessible in your schedule. However, if you have some flexibility in your daily routine, here are the best times to accelerate your results!
- Before a meal—exercising before eating a meal stimulates digestion and metabolism, so you can burn it off more efficiently; eating a real meal after exercising also allows you to get a hefty dose of protein and complex carbs without excessive snacking.
- After a meal—this is most specific for walking, since most other exercise activities will leave you feeling nauseous or crampy directly after eating; walking after a meal is a great choice, however, since it supports digestion and metabolism and is gentle enough for a full stomach.
- Upon awakening—this is a great option if you are very busy, as it ensures you get your exercise in before you get lost in your day; exercising first thing each morning will help you start your day with more energy, mental clarity, and motivation while also supporting digestion, metabolism, and elimination. Just make sure to follow this with a healthy protein-rich breakfast!
NOTE: Since exercise is stimulating, it is generally not recommended to do this too late at night, with the exception of a peaceful, post-dinner walk.
9. The 70% method.
I learned this theory through my studies of Qigong, but it is often relevant throughout most areas of life. The 70% method simply means to exert about 70% of your energy and physical ability, rather than trying to go full throttle. This method is a great way to prevent injury and to ensure you are feeling stronger and more energized after your exercise, rather than exhausted, depleted, and weak.
So how can you tell if you are at your 70% level? One sign would be that you can go harder if you try (faster pace, more weight, longer sessions) and you are not too close to your maximum heart rate (see #3 above). You should not be pouring sweat or gulping for air. And most importantly, you should feel energized after with only mild (if any) soreness.
But it is also important to challenge your body and not to underdo it either. In general, your heart rate should be getting to at least 100 bpm, and a little sweat on your forehead and chest is great! And as you build strength and stamina, you may find that you can do more and more while staying at your 70% level!
10. Do what you enjoy, at least most of the time!
If your exercise routine feels more like a chore than an enjoyable activity, then you most likely are not going to stick with it for very long. There are so many ways to get your exercise in each day, and even if you hate traditional exercise, you can likely find something more pleasant for you.
So whether it is dancing, swimming, hiking, or whatever, find kinetic activities that you can look forward to, at least a couple times per week. This way, you may have to push yourself through a couple of exercise sessions, but at least you can look forward to a few of your exercise days.
NOTE: Sometimes all you need to enjoy exercising more is a good friend to do it with! Finding an exercise buddy for classes, gym sessions, or walks can be an effective way to keep motivated and on track with your exercise routine.
11. Exercise for your body type.
According to Ayurveda, each individual is unique, so naturally, what works best for one person may not be as suitable or healing for another. This theory is equally important when choosing your exercise routine to get the most out of your efforts and support a better state of balance.
Here is a general list of what activities will be best for each dosha type (Ayurvedic body-type).
Take our online Dosha Quiz to find out your Ayurvedic body type!
VATA TYPES
Since Vata tends to be excessively light, mobile, and fragile, slower, more stabilizing activities should be favored while avoiding excessively fast and overly exerting exercises. Some great examples would be walking, elliptical (mild pace), biking, “slow flow” Yoga, body-weight exercise routines, and light-weight exercise routines. Make sure to avoid jumping, jogging, and other high-impact activities.
PITTA TYPES
Pitta tends to be excessively hot and overly ambitious, making it best for them to focus on medium-paced exercises. They should avoid exercise in the direct sun or mid-day in the summertime, as well as heated activities such as hot room Yoga. Better options would be swimming, walking in the fresh air (shaded or in cooler weather), shaded hikes, moderate Yoga classes, body-weight exercise routines, and light-weight exercise routines.
KAPHA TYPES
Kapha types tend to be the individuals who do best with fast-paced movement and more heat. They should avoid slow-paced exercise activities such as Yin Yoga, slow-paced walks, and any activity with excessively long breaks between exercises. Instead, high-paced exercise options will be best, such as brisk walks, hot room Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, and HIIT exercise routines (body-weight or using light weights).
Read more tips on Exercising For Your Body Type here!
12. Hydrate properly.
This one may seem obvious, but it is extremely important to stay hydrated as you sweat more. If you live in a dry climate or are more dry by nature (ehm, Vata!), this becomes even more important. Ideally, you should be steadily drinking water throughout the day, but with an extra focus before, during, and after your workout. An ideal goal would be to drink 1 to 2 cups of water at each of these intervals.
But not all liquids are made equal. One major factor for optimal hydration is to drink warm to room temperature water, rather than cold or iced water. Why? Warm water works to stimulate your digestion and metabolism, while cold water slows it down.
Avoid sports drinks that contain sugar, artificial sweeteners, dyes, preservatives, and other additives. If you are looking to replenish your electrolytes, you can make a much healthier option with this simple recipe here. Raw coconut water can also be a nice treat, although it can still contain a lot of sugar (albeit natural) and calories, so it may be best to water it down or limit your consumption.
Read more tips on Hydrating Properly here.
Conclusion
Exercise is a universal medicine for staying healthy, active, and youthful. With its ability to prevent disease and keep our bodies and minds strong, it becomes even more essential as we get older. No matter your age, physical ability, level of health, level of income, or personal preferences, there are exercise options for everyone. As you begin your new exercise routine, just remember to start slow, stay within your 70%, fuel intelligently, and most importantly, be consistent!
Try our Super Greens Energy Fusion for a healthy pre-workout boost!
