With fitness, it’s key to put in appropriate time and effort if you want to get those sweet rewards. And in case you were wondering, to name just a few, keeping fit can lower your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke by 35 per cent, reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by 50 per cent, halve the likelihood of colon cancer, and decrease your chances of developing osteoarthritis by 83 per cent. Not to mention weight loss and a nice release of endorphins. So it’s clear that exercise has its positives, but how hard and for how long should you be working?
The NHS suggests either 150 minutes of ‘moderate aerobic’ exercise, or 75 minutes of ‘vigorous’ exercise a week. Although we will be focusing on vigorous exercise, moderate aerobic has its benefits. For instance, it’s ideal for beginners or those returning from injury, and it’s highly accessible. Moderate aerobic exercise can be exercises like walking, hiking and doubles tennis. As a general rule, aim for exercises that increase your heart rate and warm up your muscles; that allows you to still talk, but would make singing a struggle.