At Paramount Rehabilitation Services we use exercise to help with many health issues, but you to can use exercise to help with you and your loved ones at home.  You can visit the Exercise is Medicine website to see a list of recommended exercise prescriptions for common health issues.  Health issues listed there include anxiety/depression, high blood pressure, Type 2 Diabetes, weight loss and more.  Always remember to consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Exercise is Medicine and many other exercise professionals use F.I.T.T. to prescribe exercise.  F=frequency, I=intensity, T= time, T=type.  Frequency is how many days per week you’ll want to exercise.  Usually 3-7 days per week depending on how active you were before and how difficult your work outs are.  Intensity is the level of difficulty.  The walking test is a good measure of how intense your workout is.  When you start to walk, your heart rate and breathing increase but you can still hold a conversation.  That would be light intensity.  Once you pick up the speed of your walk and it is difficult to hold a conversation, now you’re at a moderate intensity.  Time is the amount of time per day that you exercise, usually 30 to 60 minutes.  If you can not complete the time all at once, you can break them up into at least 10 minute increments throughout the day.  Type is various exercises, walking, running, lifting weights for example.  Remember to start with light exercise or just walking to build your endurance and strength before starting anything to strenuous.

Try to find an activity that is enjoyable that will keep you interested. For example, if you hate to run, then maybe biking or swimming is more enjoyable.  Gym memberships are not always necessary either, many exercise programs can be changed to do at home using objects you might have sitting around.  A simple soup can or a jug of water can be plenty of weight.

Enjoy a better, healthier you.