Exercise

When you exercise, not only do you stay fit but you feel good, you have lots of energy and you are helping your body to stay healthy.  But what is exercise?  Is it just working out in the gym, lifting weights or spending ages running around a track?  Exercise is all of these things but lots more!  You are exercising when you walk, run, cycle, swim, play a game, skip, dance or just climb the stairs instead of taking the lift during the day.  Even chores that you have to do to help around the house are a type of exercise!  Exercise is simple really and can be whatever you like to do best.

Every day, your body uses the fuel from the food you have eaten to give you energy to go to school, play with your friends, do your homework and do all the other things you do every day.  The speed at which your body uses your fuel is called your metabolism.  Fuel is used up more quickly when you exercise and when it runs out, the fuel stored in your body (usually as fat) is used as extra fuel to keep you going or to give you more oomph!  So, not only does exercise keep your body fit, it increases your metabolism.  This means your body uses up fat more quickly when you exercise and even for a little while afterwards!

One of the most important things you can do to stay healthy is to exercise regularly.  When you exercise regularly, you are training all of the muscles in your body, including the muscles around your lungs and in your heart!  It is better to build up your muscles slowly – do a little exercise every day rather than just one big lot of exercise at the weekend!  Just 30 minutes of exercise every day will help you to get fitter and healthier.  It doesn’t matter what age you are or how unfit you think you are – with patience and regular exercise, step-by-step, you will get there! The main type of exercise you do every day is aerobic, which is where your heart speeds up to keep you running, dancing or cycling.  Aerobic exercise is any exercise where you end up huffing and puffing for breath!  No matter what kind of exercise you are doing, outside, in a gym or at a training session with your team, it is a good idea to warm up your muscles before you start.  Once your muscles are warm, they are better able to stretch out easily and don’t get a shock when they start working which could pull and tear or damage them.

You can do this by stretching to loosen up your muscles or jogging gently to warm up your body before you start your real exercise.  When you finish your exercise or training, you should also warm down so your muscles don’t get a shock by stopping suddenly and getting cold too quickly.

What kind of exercise you do between warming up and cooling down is up to you – do what you enjoy most.  Remember, if you ever feel a pain when you are exercising, don’t ignore it.  Pain is your body’s way of saying that something is wrong, so ask an adult for help.

Your body was designed to gather food and hunt wild animals, it needs exercise every day – without exercise your body can slow right down and start to feel very unhealthy.  When you exercise, not only do you feel fit and strong but you feel relaxed, calmer, happier, and you sleep better.  Exercise can help you to be less worried, less angry and it makes you feel good about yourself.  Exercise gives you more energy, not less and its fun!  Don’t worry if you are starting out, you don’t have to compete.  Make exercise a part of your life and just enjoy it!

Step – by – step – get fit and healthy!