Choosing Activities That Are Right for You

The key to sticking with an exercise program is to choose an activity you enjoy. You can promote good health—especially heart health—by doing any of these activities on a regular basis:

• brisk walking
• bicycling
• cross-country skiing
• jogging
• jumping rope
• rowing
• running in place
• stair-climbing
• swimming

Games such as basketball, handball, racquetball, soccer, squash, singles tennis, and volleyball also qualify.

Exercises you perform on your feet are called weight-bearing exercises. Weight-bearing exercises such as walking, jogging and jumping rope offer protection against osteoporosis in addition to their other health benefits.

To select your activity or activities, consider first whether you prefer to exercise alone or with others. Making a pact with a partner or taking a class may motivate you to start—and help you continue—an exercise program.

Next, decide whether you want to exercise outside, enjoying the scenery and weather changes, or inside, sheltered from the elements. Some exercises, such as running in place and jumping rope, can be done indoors or out.

Cost need not hold you back. Brisk walking, for example, requires nothing more than a pair of comfortable walking shoes and some thick socks to prevent blisters.