Hypertension, which is defined as a chronically elevated blood pressure greater than 140/90 mmHg, affects nearly 50 million Americans. If left untreated, hypertension can dramatically increase your risk for heart attacks, strokes and peripheral arterial disease. Exercise not only improves the workings of the cardiovascular system, but can lower blood pressure as well. The key to maximizing the benefits of exercise is to follow a well-designed program that you can stick to over the long-term.

Getting Started

• Talk with your health care provider before starting an exercise program and ask about any changes to your medications or special concerns they have about you doing exercise.
• Take all medications as recommended by your physician.
• Choose low- to moderate-intensity activities that you enjoy, such as walking, cycling or group fitness classes. Exercising at a lower intensity appears to reduce blood pressure as much as—if not more than—exercising at a higher intensity.
• Once your cardiovascular fitness begins to improve, consider adding low-resistance, high-repetition strength training, such as circuit training.
• Start slowly and gradually progress the intensity and duration of your workouts.
• Take frequent breaks during activity if needed.

Exercise Cautions

• Always cool down gradually.Antihypertensives, such as alpha blockers, calcium channel blockers, and vasodilators, may reduce blood pressure too much if exercise is ended abruptly.
• If possible, measure your blood pressure prior to your exercise session. Do not exercise if your resting systolic blood pressure is greater than 200 mmHg or your diastolic blood pressure is greater than 115 mmHg.
• Avoid holding your breath during weight training because this can cause large fluctuations in blood pressure and increase the potential of passing out or developing abnormal heart rhythms.
• If your fitness level is low, start with shorter sessions (10 to 15 minutes) and gradually add five minutes to your workouts every two to four weeks. Ideally, you should build up to 30, five days per week.

Your exercise program should be designed to maximize the benefits with the fewest risks of aggravating your health or physical condition. Consider contacting a certified health and fitness professional* who can work with you and your health care provider to establish realistic goals and design a safe and effective program that addresses your specific needs.

If you have type 2 diabetes, regular physical activity is essential for controlling your blood glucose and managing your weight. Exercise also improves how well your body responds to insulin, which may reduce the need for medication because your muscle and fat will do a better job of taking glucose out of the blood. Furthermore, exercise may help protect you against heart disease, which often accompanies type 2 diabetes, by reducing body fat, blood pressure and improving your cholesterol levels. It will help you better understand your diet and exercise if you closely monitor your blood glucose levels to understand how you respond to different types of activities.

Getting Started

• Talk with your health care provider before starting an exercise program and ask for specific programming recommendations and possible changes to your medications.
• Your exercise prescription must be tailored to your medication schedule and the presence and severity of any diabetic complications, as well as your specific goals for your exercise program.
• For every one hour of exercise, consume an additional 15 grams of carbohydrates before or after your workout.
• Daily exercise is highly recommended.At a minimum, do moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise for 20 to 60 minutes at least four days per week.
• On two days per week, consider doing a lower-resistance, lower-intensity strengthtraining program with one set of exercises for the major muscle groups, with 10 to 15 repetitions.
• Start slowly and gradually progress the intensity and duration of your workouts.
• Take frequent breaks during activity if needed.

Exercise Cautions

• Avoid activity when your blood glucose is too high.
• Extended or vigorous activity may trigger an excessive release of adrenaline and other hormones that can counteract the effects of insulin, thereby increasing blood glucose levels.
• Drink plenty of fluids before and after exercise.

Your exercise program should be designed to maximize the benefits with the fewest risks of aggravating your health or physical condition. Consider contacting a certified health and fitness professional* who can work with you and your health care provider to establish realistic goals and design a safe and effective program that addresses your specific needs.

Hyperlipidemia, which is having blood cholesterol and/or triglyceride levels that are too high, is a risk factor for many forms of cardiovascular disease. Regular physical activity, when combined with a sensible eating plan and weight loss, can help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Exercise also has a positive effect on many of the other risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. The key to maximizing the benefits of exercise is to follow a well-designed program that you can stick to over the long-term.

Getting Started

• Talk with your health care provider before starting an exercise program and ask about any specific concerns they may have about you doing regular exercise.
• Take all medications as recommended by your physician.
• The goals of your program should be to improve cardiovascular fitness, increase muscle strength and endurance, improve range of motion, and to promote weight loss, if necessary.
• If your fitness level is low, start with shorter sessions (10 to 15 minutes) and gradually add five minutes to your workouts every two to four weeks. Ideally, you should build up to 30 minutes, five days per week.
• Choose low-impact activities that you enjoy, such as walking, cycling or water exercises.And remember that duration is more important than intensity.
• Once your cardiovascular fitness begins to improve, add low-resistance, highrepetition strength training, such as circuit training.

Exercise Cautions

• Be aware that some lipid-lowering medications can cause muscle discomfort.
• If longer-duration workouts are too challenging or don’t fit into your schedule, split your exercise time into two 20- to 30-minute sessions.
• To reap the most cholesterol-lowering benefits from your program, you must follow a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet and continue to take all medications recommended by your physician.

Your exercise program should be designed to maximize the benefits with the fewest risks of aggravating your health or physical condition. Consider contacting a certified health and fitness professional* who can work with you and your health care provider to establish realistic goals and design a safe and effective program that addresses your specific needs.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) causes a reduction in blood flow to the lower extremities due to narrowing of the arteries, and can make walking and other daily activities both challenging and painful due to muscle cramping. Regular physical activity improves circulation to the leg muscles, reduces the pain of walking, and can even enhance your overall quality of life. Exercise reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, which often accompanies PAD. The key to maximizing the benefits of exercise is to follow a well-designed program that you can stick to over the long-term.

Getting Started

• Talk with your health care provider and rehabilitation therapist about integrating regular exercise into your treatment plan.
• Take all medications as recommended by your physician.
• The goals of your program should be to improve pain symptoms caused by PAD and reduce your cardiovascular risk factors.
• While all aerobic activities are of benefit, walking is the best exercise for people with PAD.
• The best type of walking is where your pace varies depending on leg pain. Walk until the pain causes you to slow down. Then walk slowly (or if necessary, stop) until the pain subsides and keep repeating the work-rest cycle.
• Begin with as little as five to 15 minutes of walking or other aerobic activity. Gradually increase the length of your aerobic exercise until you can exercise continuously for 30 minutes or more.
• Aim to exercise at least three days per week and focus on increasing amount of time before you begin to exercise harder.

Exercise Cautions

• Regular physical activity may unmask heart-related symptoms. Stop exercising and contact your physician immediately if you experience any chest pain, extreme fatigue or breathlessness.
• Cold weather may worsen symptoms.

Your exercise program should be designed to maximize the benefits with the fewest risks of aggravating your health or physical condition. Consider contacting a certified health and fitness professional* who can work with you and your health care provider to establish realistic goals and design a safe and effective program that addresses your specific needs.

While exercise may be an asthma trigger for some people, research indicates that it is possible to build up tolerance to physical activity over time, making an attack less likely. In addition to reducing the risk of developing many other diseases, appropriate exercise can help individuals with asthma maintain a healthy body weight, boost immunity, reduce stress, sleep better and feel more energized. The key is to keep one’s asthma under control through proper treatment and precautions.

Getting Started

• Talk with your health care provider before starting an exercise program and ask for specific programming recommendations and possible changes to your medications.
• Take all medications as recommended by your physician.
• Schedule your exercise session at a time when you’re least likely to experience an attack, such as mid- to late-morning.
• An extended warm-up and a gradual cool-down may help reduce the likelihood of developing symptoms.
• Realize that it might take up to six weeks to get used to your routine and figure out what works best for you.
• Be prepared to adjust your workouts according to changes in weather and fluctuations in your symptoms.
• Start slowly and gradually progress the intensity and duration of your workouts.
• Take frequent breaks during activity if needed.

Exercise Cautions

• Avoid extremes in temperature and humidity.
• Walking and jogging, particularly in warm, dry climates, may produce more asthma symptoms. The same is true for cold-weather, high-intensity activities.
• If exercise aggravates your symptoms, immediately stop all activity and contact your health care provider as you may need more intensive medical management for your asthma.
• Limit your activity on days when pollen counts are high.
• Do not be concerned if you are unable to reach the higher end of your target heartrate range—you will still experience significant benefits from physical activity.

Your exercise program should be designed to maximize the benefits with the fewest risks of aggravating your health or physical condition. Consider contacting a certified health and fitness professional* who can work with you and your health care provider to establish realistic goals and design a safe and effective program that addresses your specific needs.

Hypertension, which is defined as a chronically elevated blood pressure greater than 140/90 mmHg, affects nearly 50 million Filipinos. If left untreated, hypertension can dramatically increase your risk for heart attacks, strokes and peripheral arterial disease. Exercise not only improves the workings of the cardiovascular system, but can lower blood pressure as well. The key to maximizing the benefits of exercise is to follow a well-designed program that you can stick to over the long-term.

Getting Started

• The goal of exercise training is to improve overall fitness (cardiovascular, muscle strength and endurance, flexibility, coordination and function).
• Talk with your health care provider before starting an exercise program and ask if they have specific concerns about you doing exercise. Most people do very well with regular exercise and sufficient time, but some people do need surgery.
• The goal of exercise training is to improve overall fitness (cardiovascular, muscle strength and endurance, flexibility, coordination and function) while minimizing the stress to the lower back.
• Choose low-impact activities, such as walking, swimming, and cycling.
• Strong abdominals, back, and leg muscles are essential for helping you maintain good posture and body mechanics. Once the acute pain subsides, you can begin doing light strengthening-training exercises designed to help your posture.
• Yoga and tai chi may help relieve or prevent lower back pain by increasing flexibility and reducing tension. Be careful, however, not to do any poses that could exacerbate your condition.
• Start slowly and gradually progress the intensity and duration of your workouts.

Do low- to moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise for 20 to 60 minutes at least three to four days per week.

Exercise Cautions

• Avoid high-impact activities such as running.
• While low-impact aerobic activities can be started within two weeks of the onset of lower back pain, exercises that target the trunk region should be delayed until at least two weeks after the first sign of symptoms.
• Never exercise to the point of pain—if something hurts, don’t do it.

Your exercise program should be designed to maximize the benefits with the fewest risks of aggravating your health or physical condition. Consider contacting a certified health and fitness professional* who can work with you and your health care provider to establish realistic goals and design a safe and effective program that addresses your specific needs.

An estimated 40 million people have some form of arthritis. The two most common forms are osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease characterized by a progressive loss of cartilage, and rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic condition causing the lining of the joints to become inflamed. Both conditions can make exercise a difficult and painful proposition. However, a well-designed physical activity program can decrease joint swelling and pain and improve overall function. Furthermore, regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight (which reduces pressure on your joints) and improve cartilage and bone tissue health. The key is to keep yourself active in a variety of ways, and you will be on your way to greater mobility and better health.

Getting Started

• Talk with your health care practitioner before starting an exercise program and ask for specific programming recommendations and possible changes to your medications.
• Select low-impact and non-impact activities such as walking, swimming, water exercise and cycling.
• An extended warm-up and a gradual cool-down may help reduce the likelihood of aggravating joint pain.
• Spread your activity throughout the day (e.g., three 10-minute sessions). Set time goals rather than distance goals.
• Start slowly and gradually progress the intensity and duration of your workouts. Take frequent breaks during activity if needed.
• Select shoes and insoles for maximum shock absorption.
• Be prepared to adjust your workouts according to fluctuations in your symptoms.

Exercise Cautions

• Avoid overstretching.
• Some discomfort after your workouts is to be expected, but you should not be in pain.
• Avoid vigorous, highly repetitive activities, particularly if your joints are unstable.
• If you have arthritis in your feet, consult with your physician or podiatrist before doing high-impact activities such as running.

Your exercise program should be modified to maximize the benefits while minimizing the risk of aggravating your health condition. Consider contacting anACSM-certified fitness professional* who can work with you and your healthcare practitioner to establish realistic goals and design a safe and effective program that addresses your specific needs.