Exercise is Important
Your journey is more of a marathon than a sprint. You need to stay healthy to be able to care of yourself and your Veteran for the long-term. Start out slowly with 10 to 15 minutes of one activity. Increase the number of activities as you can tolerate over time. Aim for 60 minutes of good activity a day.
Choose Comfort
Wear comfortable shoes with stable bottoms and clothes that wick (pull sweat away from your skin). Make sure your clothes are right for the activity and weather. Layers work best in colder climates.
Begin/End
Warm-up before and cool-down after the activity so you don't get hurt or sore. Stretching and continuing to move after exercising is just as important as warming-up.
Drink Water
Drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercising. This will keep your body and your skin healthy.
Take a Walk
Walking is free and you can do it almost anywhere. Walking is safe for almost everyone, and the health benefits far outweigh the risks. Starting is easy if you slowly add a few more steps every day. Remember, you don’t have to do it all at one time. Buy a pedometer and try to get in 5,000 steps a day to stay healthy. Shoot for 10,000 steps a day if you want to lose weight.
Do Yard Work
Working outside with a flower garden, a vegetable garden, or just mowing the lawn can keep you fit and trim. One hour of push mowing your lawn can burn over 300 calories and an hour in the garden can burn over 200 calories!
Take a Class
There are many places where you can take an exercise class. The YMCA and many libraries, senior centers, and community hospitals offer low-cost classes, too. If you are worried about the impact of aerobics or other classes, try a beginner or chair-based yoga or Pilates class. Besides getting exercise, you can meet up with old friends or make new friends, and it gives you a great excuse to get out of the house for a few minutes and do something for yourself.
Use a Workout Video
Try one of the many exercise programs you can get on video. You can purchase on DVD, stream them from a service, access them through the "On Demand" feature on your TV, or look online for free ones.
Dance With Your Broom
Listening to fast-paced music while you clean can give more bounce to your step, even if you dance with your broom or a rake outside. Vacuuming for 30 minutes burns about 90 calories, the same amount you'd burn in 15 minutes of kick boxing!