"The activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit"

Types of Exercise

If you're trying to build muscle, then flexibility and weights would be the proper choice.
Whatever you goals are, you'll be able to find the type of exercise appropriate for you, and an exercise regimen that will of the proper intensity and gradient so that you can win with an exercise program.
Depending on the purpose for you doing exercise, there are a variety of types of exercise available to you. For example, if you're trying to improve stamina and your circulatory system, aerobic exercise would benefit you.

What kinds of physical activity should be part of my routine?

A comprehensive physical activity routine includes three kinds of activities:
" Aerobic Exercise
" Strength Training
" Flexibility Exercises
 

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise increases your heart rate, works your muscles, and raises your breathing rate. For most people, it's best to aim for a total of about 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week. If you haven't been very active recently, you can start out with 5 or 10 minutes a day and work up to more time each week. Or split up your activity for the day -- try a brisk 10-minute walk after each meal. If you're trying to lose weight, you may want to exercise more than 30 minutes a day. Here are some examples of aerobic exercise:
" Take a brisk walk (outside or inside on a treadmill)
" Go dancing
" Take a low-impact aerobics class
" Swim or do water aerobic exercises
" Try ice-skating or roller-skating
" Play tennis
" Stationary bicycle indoors

Strength Training

Strength training, done several times a week, helps build strong bones and muscles and makes everyday chores like carrying groceries easier for you. With more muscle, you burn more calories, even at rest. Here are some ways to do it:
" Join a class to do strength training with weights, elastic bands, or plastic tubes
" Lift light weights at home
 

Flexibility Exercises

Flexibility exercises, also called stretching, help keep your joints flexible and reduce your chances of injury during other activities. Gentle stretching for 5 to 10 minutes helps your body warm up and get ready for aerobic activities such as walking or swimming. Your health care team can provide information on how to stretch.
Being Active Throughout The Day

In addition to formal exercise, there are many opportunities to be active throughout the day. Being active helps burns calories. The more you move around, the more energy you'll have. These strategies can help you increase your activity level:
" Walk instead of drive whenever possible
" Take the stairs instead of the elevator
" Work in the garden, rake leaves, or do some housecleaning every day
" Park at the far end of the shopping center lot and walk to the store
 

When is the Best Time to Exercise?

When is the best time to exercise? Well the answer isn't the same for everyone but for most people the best time to exercise is the morning. An overwhelming majority (over 80%) of people who exercise on a regular basis say they do it in the morning. When you get serious about exercising you need to make a commitment to do it regularly. The morning is great time because you're less likely to be distracted by other factors. Most people don't have a problem adjusting to getting up 30 to 45 minutes earlier than they are used to. Once they've started exercising in the morning many people find they have a consistently higher energy level through out the day. In addition to getting hormones flowing through your body and stimulating your muscles, your brain gets a boost as well. The increased blood flow has been shown to increase mental activity for another four to ten hours.
Additionally an early exercise regiment helps set a routine for your appetite, making you hungry for breakfast, which many nutritionists feel is the most important meal of the day. After a few weeks your bodies sleep patterns, or circadian rhythms will adjust, and you may find yourself not needing an alarm clock to wake up. Many health experts feel that establishing a regular pattern of sleeping and waking times are beneficial to a healthy lifestyle.
Lastly when you exercise in the afternoon, life's little problems have ways of creeping in. Maybe you had a hard or stressful day at work or school. Maybe the kids have a sports event or homework project they just remembered, or maybe you're just plain tired. It's very easy to give up and not exercise. However when you exercise in the morning you have removed almost all of these other factors. So rise and shine and start exercising a healthier lifestyle is waiting for you.

Tips for Getting Washboard Abs

One of the most sought after goals for an exercise regime to get washboard abs. everyone wants a smooth flat stomach with well defined abdominal muscles. Most people think that they need to do 50, 75 or 100 crunches or sit-ups a day to get there. That's simply not how muscles work. When you see bodybuilders with large well defined biceps chances are they didn't get there by doing 50 bicep curls per day. In fact studies have shown the most dependable way to develop muscles is with a low number of repetitions using a higher weight. Here are some tips for increasing the effectiveness of your ab crunches
" Once you can do at least 3 sets of 12 repetitions, start to add some weight
" Start out with wrist weights, you want a weight that lets you do at least 8 reps but not more than 12
" Once you reach 12 reps its time to add more weight
" Another way to increase resistance is with a reverse ab curl (keeping your torso on the floor and moving your legs)
" To increase resistance on reverse ab curl use ankle weights
" Doing crunches on a fitness ball is another way to increase resistance
" If you train with a partner you can use a dumbbell to add weight and resistance on a fitness ball (be sure to use a partner this can be dangerous)

At Home in Your Local Gym

For many people one of the hardest things about belonging to local gym isn't going for scheduled workouts, it feelings of anxiety and insecurity about going to the gym. Many people have concerns about their body image, wonder whether they will look overweight, inexperienced, or just plain out of place.
" Most health club employees agree that the most common cause for anxiety stems from peoples own perception of their bodies. Many times it's something as simple as showing up in plain t-shirt and sweat pants when everyone else is wearing a coordinated gym outfit. Most people express concerns about looking overweight. If your gym is filled with sculpted Adonis like twenty-something men and women, it can be very intimidating if you're not. If this you here are some tips to help you fit in:
" Don't try to fit into skin tight clothing if it doesn't fit your body type, instead opt for clean and neat loose fitting clothing.
" Come to the gym with a friend, companionship is a great confidence booster.
" Visit the gym at off peak times if possible. As you become more comfortable in the environment you will feel more at home in the environment.
" If your gym offers classes, sign up for ones geared for beginners. Chances are you'll meet other people who share your concerns.
It's important that you address your problems and concerns and find ways to overcome them. Using a gym membership that you paid for, not only makes good sense from a fiscal standpoint, but from a personal growth standpoint.

Definitions of exercise on the Web:
" exert: put to use; "exert one's power or influence"
" the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit; "the doctor recommended regular exercise"; "he did some exercising"; "the physical exertion required by his work kept him fit"
" use: the act of using; "he warned against the use of narcotic drugs"; "skilled in the utilization of computers"
" practice: carry out or practice; as of jobs and professions; "practice law"
" systematic training by multiple repetitions; "practice makes perfect"
" give a workout to; "Some parents exercise their infants"; "My personal trainer works me hard"; "work one's muscles"
" do physical exercise; "She works out in the gym every day"
" a task performed or problem solved in order to develop skill or understanding; "you must work the examples at the end of each chapter in the textbook"
" (usually plural) a ceremony that involves processions and speeches; "academic exercises"
" drill: learn by repetition; "We drilled French verbs every day"; "Pianists practice scales"
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
" The word exercise can mean the following:*A setting in action or practicing.*Any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability.*Physical exercise
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise
" A term often referred to when a person decides to purchase their company's stock through the contractual right granted to them in a stock option. A person 'exercises' their right to purchase company stock from the right granted in a stock option.
www.theaccountspayablenetwork.com/html/modules.php
" The action taken by the holder of a call option if he wishes to purchase the underlying futures contract or by the holder of a put option if he wishes to sell the underlying futures contract.
www.managedfutures.com/managed_futures_glossary.html
" An option can be exercised only by the buyer (holder) of the option at any time up to the expiration date. If and when a call is exercised, the option buyer will acquire a long position in the underlying futures contract at the option exercise price. The writer of the call to whom the notice of exercise is assigned will acquire a short position in the underlying futures contract at the option exercise price. ...
www.traderslog.com/vocabulary-of-options-trading.htm
" To implement the right of the holder of an option to buy (in the case of a call) or sell (in the case of a put) the underlying security.
https://www.canada.etrade.com/estation/glossary/index_e.shtml
" Many headache specialists believe that regular physical exercise can reduce the frequency and severity of headaches, although, not many research studies have been done to prove or disprove this widespread belief. If true, exercise may help by reducing stress.
www.achenet.org/resources/glossary.php
" Activity done for the purpose of keeping fit and healthy, or sociable in a group form like football.
www.netfit.co.uk/glosse.htm
" Exercise is physical activity that is planned or structured. It involves repetitive bodily movement done to improve or maintain one or more of the components of physical fitness-cardiorespiratory endurance (aerobic fitness), muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/terms/
" Action taken by an option holder that requires the writer to perform the terms of the contract.
www.vss2000.com/glossary/e.asp
" physical exertion made for the sake of health
http://sln.fi.edu/biosci/glossary.html
" To elect to buy or sell, taking advantage of the right (but not the obligation) conferred to the owner of an option contract.
www.cftc.gov/opa/glossary/opaglossary_e.htm
" A form of leisure-time physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive. Its main objective is to improve or maintain physical fitness.
www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/pau-uap/fitness/definitions.html
" To implement the rights of an option.
www.btplc.com/Siteservices/Servicesforinvestors/Glossary/Glossary.htm
" To execute the terms of a contract. See option.
www-personal.umich.edu/~alandear/glossary/e.html
" To invoke the right granted under the terms of a listed options contract. The holder is the one who exercises. Call holders exercise to buy the underlying security, while put holders exercise to sell the underlying security.
www.geochina.org/twincitychinese/stock/optionGlossary.htm
" A physical or mental activity used as a method of maintaining or improving a level of fitness. An important part of an overall weight loss plan of action.
www.adipex-phentermine-diet-pills.com/diet-pills-glossary.asp
" The exercise by an option holder of his right to buy (call) or sell (put) an asset at the agreed strike price.
www.lbma.org.uk/london_glossary.html
" Problem, task or other activity aimed at developing or improving a person's skill or knowledge.
www.teach-nology.com/glossary/terms/e/
" An intervention long associated with "strong bones," despite limited evidence of significant beneficial effect on bone mineral density or fracture rates. Studies evaluating exercise are ongoing; however, enough is known about the positive effect of exercise on fall prevention to support its inclusion in a comprehensive fracture prevention program.
www.nof.org/physguide/glossary.htm
" A unit of activity within a lesson performed for the sake of practice, and to acquire skill and knowledge.
www.msdnaa.net/curriculum/glossary.aspx
" Equity LEAPS are American-style options. The option may be exercised prior to the expiration date.
www.optionsxpress.com/educate/advanced/leaps.aspx
" Exercising a call means that you elect to purchase the underlying futures contract at the option strike price. Exercising a put means that you elect to sell the underlying futures contract at the option strike price.
www.nfa.futures.org/basicnet/glossary.aspx
" The process by which an employee purchases stock he or she has the option to purchase. Being offered an option does not require the employee to purchase the stock or exercise the option.
www.salary.com/advice/layouthtmls/advl_display_nocat_Ser56_Par122.html
" Executing an option's right to buy or sell the underlying security.
www.wavestrength.com/optioneasy/archive/Glossary.html
" To purchase employer shares granted from an option.
www.networthstrategies.com/Resources/Docs/glossary.html
" An individual movement that is intended to tax muscular function.
www.highnrg.com/resources/glossary.htm