Exercise Tips and Recommendations

Regular exercising is the best thing you can do for your heart. Being physically active brings long-term health benefits and improves your overall quality of life. Find out below for some exercise tips and recommendations towards good heart health!

How much should you exercise?

Accumulate at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 to 150 minutes of high-intensity exercise a week;
Exercise at least 3 or more days a week
Participate in 2 to 3 sessions of resistance exercise a week, with a rest day between training days

The table below illustrates a gentle aerobic exercise progression. This guide can be applied to any form of aerobic exercise training.

Week	Duration	Frequency
1	10 minutes	1-2 times per day
2	15 minutes	1-2 times per day
3	20 minutes	1-2 times per day
4	25 minutes	1-2 times per day

How hard should you exercise?

Exercise intensity refers to how hard the body is working or the amount of physical energy used when exercising. In low-intensity exercise, there is a steady heart rate without a noticeable change in breathing, for example, you can chat and sing while exercising without running out of breath. At moderate intensity, there may be an increase in heart rate, breathing rate, and body temperature, for example, you are able to hold a short conversation while exercising, but probably not able to sing without getting out of breath. In a high-intensity exercise, you will not be able to say a few words without catching a breath.

Before exercising

If you are diabetic, check your blood sugar level before starting your exercise:

Blood Sugar Level	Recommendation
< 5.5 mmol/L	Do not exercise and eat a small snack such as an apple
5.5 - 15 mmol/L	Proceed with exercise (unless you feel unwell)
> 15 mmol/dL	Do not exercise

Types of Exercise

Exercise can be categorised into aerobic and strength training. Aerobic exercise is any form of exercise that improves your stamina. These include brisk walking, cycling, jogging and swimming. Strength training is any form of exercise that improves muscle strength. Strength training can be done with free weights, weight machines, bodyweight, or elastic resistance bands.

Recommended Easy Activities

Brisk walking is the safest form of exercise to start if you are uncertain of the level of intensity.

You may make use of the readily available facilities at the public fitness corners in your neighbourhood for simple aerobic or resistance exercises.

(Photos shown below are some examples of facilities you may find in your neighbourhood - for reference only.)