| The best thing you can do to maintain muscle | | | | be monitoring your heart rate. You can program |
| mass is to use your muscles, and it is never too | | | | your training heart rate on a computerized |
| late to start. It does not matter whether you are | | | | treadmill, which will make it easy for you to |
| thirty-nine or ninety-nine. Nor does it matter that | | | | control the intensity of your workout. |
| you have not exercised in years. What is truly | | | | Outdoor walking is a wonderful way of exercise. |
| remarkable about even moderate exercise is that, | | | | It requires no special equipment other than a good |
| like the simple workout program itself, it can | | | | pair of walking shoes and a pedometer to |
| benefit us all. I hope that you are ready to begin | | | | measure your speed. It is easy and free, and |
| the workout. One note of caution, if you are over | | | | being outdoors on a great day can send your |
| forty, or have history of a medical problem, call | | | | spirits soaring. Walking outdoors on a bad day, |
| your physician before beginning this or any other | | | | however, can be downright depressing, and only |
| exercise program. Chances are that your doctor | | | | the most committed walkers are motivated |
| will be delighted you want to exercise, but in | | | | enough to do it. If you have access to an indoor |
| some cases he or she may want you to take a | | | | track plan, plan to move indoors in inclement |
| simple exercise stress test to check your heart | | | | weather. If you don't, perhaps you will want to |
| function. | | | | use a treadmill on nasty days and walk outside on |
| This workout routine lets you choose from five | | | | nice days. Whatever you do, don't let the |
| different activities, treadmill walking, outdoor | | | | weather come between you and your workout. If |
| walking, and stationary cycling. You can pick one | | | | you walk outdoors, do not walk in isolated areas |
| of these activities or mix them up. It does not | | | | by yourself and try to vary your route so that |
| matter as long as you exercise at least three | | | | you don't get bored with the scenery. You can |
| times a week. Obviously, I want you to select the | | | | listen to music through headphones if you like, but |
| activities that you will enjoy best. Each particular | | | | be sure that you can still hear traffic noise. If |
| exercise in the workout routine has its | | | | possible, try to find someone who will walk with |
| advantages and disadvantages. Here are some | | | | you. It is a relaxing way to keep up with friends, |
| things you need to know before devising your | | | | and it makes the time go faster. |
| routine. | | | | There are many advantages to stationary cycling |
| The advantage of treadmill walking is that it is | | | | and only one bid disadvantage. It is not a |
| done indoors and therefore you can exercise in | | | | weight-bearing exercise and has minimum benefits |
| any kind of weather. You may find outdoor | | | | for maintaining bone strength. Therefore, it is not |
| walking boring, but when you are on a treadmill, | | | | the best choice if you are worried about |
| you can read a magazine or even watch television | | | | osteoporosis. Because it is not a weight-bearing |
| to pass the time. The disadvantage is that you | | | | exercise, stationary cycling is recommended for |
| either have to own a treadmill or have access to | | | | people with knee or foot problems. It spares the |
| one at your local gym or health club. Since | | | | joints the kind of wear and tear that can cause |
| treadmills are incredibly popular, you will find that | | | | arthritis flare-ups. Also, since it is done indoors at |
| most gyms and health clubs have at least one, if | | | | home or at the gym or health club, you don't |
| not several. The downside is that you may have | | | | have to worry about bad weather breaking your |
| to wait to use a treadmill if you tend to go to the | | | | routine. You also don't have to worry about |
| gym or health club at peak hours when it is | | | | traffic as you do if you cycle on the roads. Similar |
| crowded. And if you are trying to fit your | | | | to treadmill walking, on most stationary cycles |
| workout in during your lunch hour or before work, | | | | you can program in your training heart rate, which |
| this may get aggravating which defeats the whole | | | | makes it easy to control the intensity of your |
| purpose of exercise. Another advantage to | | | | workout. You can also read or watch television |
| treadmill walking that you should tale into | | | | while you are cycling, which makes the time go |
| consideration, during your workout routine, you will | | | | faster. |