Exercise - diff'rent strokes

By Kevin Jones

For exercise to truly do you any good, it should be regular, sustained and vigorous enough to have an effect on your cardio-vascular system.

However, even moderate, non-vigorous activities can do you good. It is all a case of working out what suits you and making informed choices.

The committed jogger or regular brisk walker will be helping their hearts and lungs in a way that the croquet player won't. But that doesn't mean that there aren't benefits to playing croquet.

An exercise program has got to be enjoyed if it is to be maintained. Simple as that. Unless you have the strict self-discipline of a monk, you're going to need some incentive to push yourself in an activity that gives you no pleasure whatsoever.

Here, we will list three categories of activities and you can make up your own minds as to their exercise value or stress-relieving qualities.

Conditions hearts and lungs:
Aerobic dancing, Cycling, Cross-country skiing, Football (and soccer), Hiking (uphill), Jogging, Jumping rope, Rowing, Running in place, Stair-climbing, Stationary cycling, Swimming, Walking briskly.

Can condition hearts and lungs:
Downhill skiing, Basketball, Field hockey, Calisthenics, Handball, Racquetball, Social soccer, Squash, Tennis (singles), Volleyball, Walking moderately.

Does not condition much:
Badminton, Baseball, Bowling, Croquet, Gardening, Golf, Housework, Ping-pong, Shuffleboard, Social dancing, Softball, Walking leisurely.

Let's take social dancing, for example. You can dance your pants off and be absolutely exhausted at the end of it. There's no way that you can say it has not raised your heart-lung rate. However, normally it doesn't condition that much. It's value is more as a stress-reliever. The same applies with a leisurely stroll. Great for the head, if not the cardio-vascular system.

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