All about movement

The exercise guidelines

You should always try to avoid sitting still for long periods of time. According to exercise guidelines, it is important for adults to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, spread over several days. In addition, it is good to do muscle and bone strengthening activities at least twice a week. Please note: this is the minimum. When it comes to exercise, more is always better. Provided, of course, that you do not exceed your own physical limits!

The exercise guidelines indicate the minimum amount you should exercise. More exercise is always better. Whether you build this up by moving more often or by moving longer or more intensively; it doesn't matter! This image from the knowledge center clearly shows how the different types of exercise are categorized by intensity. Sitting still is a separate category. This includes all activities in which you use little or no more energy than at rest. Think of reading, computing or watching TV.

Intensity of exercise

Different forms of training

If you want to exercise more you can choose from two different forms of exercise; cardio training and strength training. Cardiotraining is short for cardiovascular training. This has everything to do with your blood vessels and your heart. In cardiotraining, the heart especially plays a big role. Forms of cardio training include running, swimming, cycling, walking, rowing, cross-training and stepping. Strength training involves performing relatively short movements with moderate to high weights/weights. Loose weights, machines or your own body weight are used for this purpose.

The benefits of cardio training

• It improves endurance. Cardio training improves the body's maximum oxygen uptake and energy reserves. It also slows down muscle acidification and increases the number of red blood cells in the blood. Red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen. All in all, these processes enable you to exercise for longer.
• It stimulates weight loss. During cardio training, the body uses carbohydrates and fats as fuel. This process reduces the fat percentage and causes weight loss. Training at a high intensity can improve your metabolism. When your metabolism improves, your body consumes more energy per day than before. This also stimulates weight loss. If your goal is to lose weight, make sure you continue to eat a healthy and varied diet.
• Blood pressure improves. When you do cardio training, your heart pumps faster because your muscles need more oxygen to perform the physical activity. The increased amount of blood being pumped around your body puts pressure on your blood vessels. The blood vessels become more flexible and their quality improves. As a result, blood pressure drops.
• It reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. As explained above, cardio training makes your heart and blood vessels more resilient. This reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular diseases.
• It reduces the risk of metabolic diseases. Metabolic diseases such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes can be prevented or reduced with cardio training. Cardio training ensures that the body uses its energy system effectively.
• It reduces osteoporosis. During cardio training, the bones are constantly stressed, such as running or cycling. This loading causes decalcification (osteoperosis) to decrease, the bone tissue to adapt and eventually bring about stronger bones.

The benefits of strength training

• It increases and maintains muscle strength. Muscle strength is important for everyday activities. When muscle strength decreases for any reason, it limits daily life.
• It increases muscle mass. This effect is greater in men than in women. However, muscle quality is the same in men and women.
• It helps you lose weight and prevents the yo-yo effect. Muscles need fuel, even when you are resting. So the greater your muscle mass, the more energy you consume. This is ideal, of course, when you want to lose weight. Your fat is then used as a source of energy, among other things. To prevent the well-known yo-yo effect, it is therefore important to train your muscles regularly.
• It keeps your body young. During strength training, growth hormones are produced that help maintain and repair body cells. Cell aging is thus prevented.
• It reduces the risk of metabolic diseases. The more strength training you do, the more active tissue is created in your body. This means a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.
• It reduces osteoporosis. When we are inactive. bone density decreases. As a result, there is a greater risk of bone fractures. Strength training puts pressure on the bones, the process of osteoporosis decreases as a result.

What do you choose?

Both cardio and strength training have many benefits, so both are important. Where you want to focus on depends entirely on your goals. If you mainly want to increase your endurance, cardio training is a good choice, if you want to become more muscular, focus on strength training and if you want to lose weight, combine both workouts. You can do this at the gym, or you can choose a sport that combines both workouts right away, like crossfit.

Tips for moving more

• Buy a pedometer and set yourself a goal.
• If there are children in your life play with them as often as possible. Play soccer, tag or some other game!
• Always take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.
• Do chores around the house.
• Take a walk after every meal.
• Always get off the bus one stop earlier and walk the last leg.
• Walk around when on the phone.
• Leave the car at home as much as possible. If you do take the car, put it a little farther away so you have to walk a little more.
• Walk up and down the stairs a few extra times at home.

Exercise is not necessarily intensive training, but can be done during the day with small adjustments. There is often a lot to gain here! Read this nice blog about how to persevere to exercise more!