Let us first define some key terms regarding physical activity, active living, and exercise.

• Physical Activity includes all muscle activities that burn more calories than resting.
• Active Living means making conscious choices to move more each and every day. You make meaningful, enjoyable physical activities a routine part of your daily living.
• Physical Fitness is the ability to have enough energy to do all the things you want and need to do.
• Exercise is planned, structured, repetitive activities to improve or maintain the components of physical fitness detailed below.
• Cardiovascular endurance is the ability of the heart to supply enough oxygen to muscles during physical activity for a prolonged period.
• Flexibility is the range of movement in a joint or series of joints, and length in muscles that cross the joints.
• Muscular strength is the amount of force a muscle can produce with a single maximal effort.
• Muscular endurance is the ability of the muscle to sustain repeated contractions against a resistance.

You will be given guidelines and tips regarding both exercise and active living. Ideally, you include some of each in your life, as both are important to your health.

TYPES OF EXERCISE

Your exercise program should include aerobic or cardiovascular exercise, stretching and strengthening to work on all the components of fitness. We will start by aerobic exercise as this is one of the most important types of exercise for your heart health.