• You should train at least 3 times a week.
• Your heart rate should be raised, and maintained at an elevated level for at least 20 mins each time
• To do this with a suitable warm up and cool down, requires 30 or 35 minutes at least.

Therefore: You need to exercise at least 3 times a week for around 35 minutes or more each time!

• Longer periods of exercise (perhaps 50 to 60 mins are even better).
• More frequent exercise (perhaps even daily) can be very beneficial - provided you don't over stress the body.
• Train on alternate days for hard training.

Note: Excessively hard training on two consecutive days can create excess stress on joints, ligaments and muscles - and deplete muscle glycogen levels. One very hard session each week is adequate. You can train daily, but be sympathetic to how the body feels and do not persist if pain increases or the legs become very heavy (even if it is only a light day). There is always a danger of over-training, just as much as under-training!

EXERCISE MOVEMENT COMPONENTS

Each exercise is composed of a combination of positions which different parts of the body remain in, or move through, over a certain period of time.

Movement can be analysed in terms of the following components:

• Foot placement
• Position of hips (from all directions)
• Angle between hip and upper leg (at different stages of the movement)
• Angle of the ankle (foot to lower leg) at various stages
• Angle of knee (at various stages)
• Position of arms
• Angle of back (e.g. at right angles to water surface)
• Mid line displacement if in water (e.g. how far the body is in or out of the water at different stages)
• Balance and gravity (e.g. leaning forward or to the side while running).

Exercises are easily understood if you divide the body up into a few broad sections (e.g. arms, legs, the trunk/waist and chest, head) and then classify exercises as broad types of movements for each of these parts.

For example, two different ways the legs might be used are for walking or jumping. Within each of these types of movements there is scope for a wide range of variations. That is, jumping could be done with the legs together, or apart. Beyond this, different types of movements of one part may be combined with different types of movements of another body part. The number of possible combinations therefore increases.

Moving the legs will get the heart pumping more than moving the arms.

This is because of:

• Involvement of large muscle groups.
• The distance from the heart (if muscles worked are further from the heart and are using more  blood, the excess blood needs to be pumped further).
• Gravity (the pushing of blood back up to the heart goes against gravity which makes the heart pump harder).
• Legs weigh more and therefore more effort is required to keep them in action and to sustain the action for extended periods.

As such, repeated energetic leg movements are the basis for most aerobic exercise whether walking, running, jumping, stepping, cycling, skating, etc.

ARM MOVEMENTS

Arm movements can vary in terms of:

1. Intensity (to work the heart and muscles harder).
2. Complexity (to increase interest and/or challenge coordination skills).

• Avoid arm movements above the shoulder for people with high blood pressure or shoulder impairment injuries.
• Arm movements should complement the movements in the lower body (avoid difficult arm leg coordination moves).
• The sequence of arm movements should be a natural flow.
• Speed and range of movement should be appropriate (avoid movements that are fast, stressful, high impact, confusing to follow/perform).
• Arm movements should challenge but NOT confuse.
• Avoid excessive repetition of the same movements (variety will provide balanced working of a wide range of muscles).

RUNNING/JOGGING/WALKING

Running and jogging differ to walking in three ways:

• They are faster
• The gait of the leg is wider (the legs stretch further apart)
• The workout is more intense (more energy is burnt and the heart beats faster).

Jogging involves moving with a running gait (legs stretched) at a pace of between 60 and 90 seconds per 200 metres.

Walking is less strenuous than jogging in a situation where all other conditions are the same (e.g. slope, duration, etc), but walking can be perhaps a more valuable aerobic activity than jogging if some of those conditions are changed. The problem with jogging or running is that it places greater strain on the legs, and can cause jarring of internal organs, inter-vertebral discs, etc much more so than walking. Over a long period of frequent jogging, a person is much more likely to suffer permanent injuries than if they had been walking instead.

Many adults regularly walk for both fun and their health. Walking is low impact, with less stress on the joints and less injury risk than jogging or running.

Common Problems in Running, Jogging or Walking

• Poor rhythm
• Too much bounce
• Arms or trunk moving out of balance
• Trunk twisting or leaning too far forward
• Swinging the arms too much or too little
• Arms crossing in front of body mid line (i.e. going left to right, or right to left)
• Landing flat rather than rolling the foot
• Moving the foot or lower leg out to the side rather than straight forward
• Landing on toes.

As a person ages there are some patterns which tend to change in walking:

• Feet are lifted less
• Walking slower
• Shorter strides
• Reduced flexibility in the ankles
• Feet move with greater out toeing
• Poor posture
• Over-use of hip flexors causing lower back pain (forward pelvic tilt).

WHERE TO RUN OR WALK

• In a gym on a treadmill
• In a circuit inside a stadium
• Around an athletics or jogging track
• On a fun and fitness trail
• Along a footpath or road edge
• Along a wilderness track, through a park, along the beach, etc.

All of these options have peculiar characteristics which might or might not make them a preferred option for you. There are several things to consider:

• The surface
• The topography (slopes)
• Distance and rate of movement
• Amount of protection (e.g. shade from sun, wind protection, protection from extremes of temperature, humidity or rain, etc).

Safety and security can be of particular concern when running at night:

• The runner must wear clothing that can be seen
• The surface they run on should be smooth and able to be seen (so that they do not trip)
• The area they run through should be free of places where people might hide to ambush the runner.

Surfaces
The surface which you run or walk on can be very important. If the surface is hard (e.g. asphalt or concrete), there will be greater jarring or impact upon the joints, hence an increased chance of injury. Some resilience/give in the surface is advantageous and, for this reason, artificial track surfaces (e.g. rubberised material) or turf may be better.

Running or walking on sand (e.g. on the beach) in bare feet can result in problems with the feet. Sand does not provide the same support as a more solid surface, and this can result in greater strain on foot muscles than with a similar exercise on a more firm surface. The softness however, necessitates more effort in the walking stride and works the heart and leg muscles more than that when walking on asphalt.

A slippery surface can however be a problem too - you need good grip in both your footwear AND in the surface you are travelling over.

Topography
Running or walking up or down slopes will use different muscles to those that you use when moving along a flat surface.

Usually more effort is required from quadriceps and gluteal muscles when jogging up hill. There are more eccentric contractions when going downhill, resulting in more muscle soreness and a higher impact. Beach and road running is often on a surface that slopes to the side, which can place a lot of repetitive strain on the knees, ankles, hips and lower back, due to unbalanced side pressure.

The distance you travel needs to be planned thoughtfully if you are training outside. Determine the distance you plan to walk, and aim to maintain an even pace over the distance. For variety you may wish to modify the pace at various times.

The distance is very important - if it is very long (and you are new at this type of exercise) keep the pace even throughout the walk and ensure you have access to water. On your first few walks or jogs, be easy on yourself or your class members - do not plan for a marathon. Select an easy pace and a short, comfortable distance to complete.

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