Move more, sit less. At the core, the exercise guidelines for adults seem fairly simple. But putting it into practice? Well, as busy Americans, it can feel challenging and overwhelming to balance an active lifestyle with the demands of work and family.
You might feel like you have to go to the gym or attend fitness classes, which might not fit into your schedule. You might be worried about balancing activity with a chronic condition. Or, it can feel intimidating to start a routine — especially if it has been a while.
But you don’t have to go to a gym or stress about balance.
A swim spa from Master Spas can help you get active and stay active. And, it helps make exercise more approachable, convenient, and fun in the process.
What the Exercise Guidelines Say
The magic number is 150. American adults should perform at least 150 minutes and up to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week. What does that mean? Adults should get their heart rate up for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes each week. But there’s more benefits to be had if an adult gets up to five hours a week.
The breakdown: 30 minutes to an hour a day of exercise.
But here’s the good news: You don’t have to get all of that in one session.
“Inactive people can achieve substantial health gains by increasing their activity level even if they don’t reach the targeted range,” according to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
Bouts of physical activity can be accumulated throughout the day to add up to what you need. So maybe you hop in a swim spa from Master Spas for a quick 10-minute workout before work, go for a quick walk over lunch, and then hop in the swim spa for 15 minutes at the end of the day.
And since the swim spa is in your backyard, you do not have to factor in the commute to a facility — or let the added time required dissuade you from exercising.
Resistance Training Recommendations
It’s not just about cardio exercise, though. The recommendations also emphasize the benefits of resistance training.
Two days a week of incorporating muscle-strengthening exercises will also improve fitness and health.
The goal: Make the major muscles of your body work harder than you normally do.
A lot of times, we think of lifting heavy weights when it comes to strengthening our muscles. But the exercise recommendations say that it’s making the muscles work against an applied force.
You want to know what’s a natural force? Water.
The resistance of the water varies on the speed of the movement but it can be between 4 and 42 times greater than in air. It’s like a weight machine that you don’t have to change the settings. This makes water a natural and instantly-adjustable weight-training machine.
Swim spas from Master Spas come with the H2Xercise Fitness System. The kit includes rowing bars, dumbbells, and resistance bands designed to maximize resistance training in the water. So you can perform the same, or similar, exercises that you would in the gym while enjoy the benefits of working out in a swim spa.
How to Start Exercising
We understand that the recommendations can feel overwhelming, especially if you are new to exercise or are struggling with a chronic disease.
But the most important thing to do when starting an exercise plan is not to focus on the numbers. It really is about moving your body and finding a style of exercise that feels good, is safe, and builds confidence.
The physical activity guidelines suggest that people “start low and go slow,” incorporating lower-intensity exercises in short bursts. As you get more fit and comfortable, you can start working out for longer periods and more often.
Exercising in a swim spa from Master Spas is ideal for those who are just getting started with exercise or those with chronic disease. The buoyancy of water reduces the impact on joints, and the temperature can be adjusted to a therapeutic 92 degrees.
Plus, as you work out in the privacy of your backyard, it’s easy to start low and go slow.
Bonus: You don’t have to worry about others at the gym.
8 Benefits of Regular Exercise
According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, regular exercise can:
- Lower risk of high blood pressure
- Lower risk of type 2 diabetes
- Lower risk of depression
- Reduce anxiety
- Improve bone health
- Improve sleep
- Improve quality of life
- Improve brain health
10-Minute Swim Spa Workout
Minutes 1-3: Walk at an easy to moderate pace against the current
Minutes 4-7: Perform two rounds of the following exercising, changing every 30 seconds — Side leg lift, left; open-stance push pulls; side leg lift, right; open-stance flies
Minutes 7-10: Walk at a moderate pace against the current or using the rowing bars in the H2Xercise kit, row.
Just a quick reminder: Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program and especially if you have a chronic condition.