When everyday exercise has become a natural part of your lifestyle you can move on to the next stage: planning your training. This could be aerobic training from taking brisk walks or Nordic walking sessions, or it could be strength training for your muscles in order to avoid back problems. In order to simplify the choice between forms of exercise the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) has produced an exercise pyramid, which shows where you should start and how you should progress in a simple, easy to understand manner. Start at the base of the pyramid, and climb upwards step by step as you feel ready. How early you add in planned training sessions depends on your exercise habits, what you want to achieve by exercising and how much time you want, and are able, to put into training each week. Individuals who were previously inactive should start with everyday exercise for a few weeks in order to build up the body’s basic strength. If you are already doing everyday exercise then you can add in planned training relatively soon.


The Exercise Pyramid

Level 1 - Everyday activities for health
The base of the pyramid consists of everyday exercise, as previously described. This simple form of movement should be a natural part of everybody’s lifestyle – young and old, inactive and active.

Level 2 - Active aerobics for better fitness
The next level of the pyramid consists of aerobic training. This could be brisk walks, Nordic walking, cycling fast or playing tennis – or any other activity that raises your pulse and breathing to a level where you have to put in a moderate or reasonable amount of effort. You should have some basic fitness, which is obtained in level one. You can read more about aerobic training in the next chapter.

Level 3 - Active strength and flexibility for better fitness
The pyramid’s third level consists of strength training, flexibility training (suppleness and stretching for your muscles) and body&mind training. You should ideally do strength training three times a week, for 45 minutes per session. Naturally, there’s no problem if you do everyday exercise and would like to do strength training instead of aerobics training. The important thing is that you get started with some form of planned exercise when everyday exercise has become a natural part of your lifestyle. Choose something you like doing and that has the effect you want.

You can train flexibility every day, because this training is relatively easy and gentle. It could be stretching your muscles or general exercises to make you more supple. Many types of body&mind training, such as yoga, tai chi, qi gong or power yoga also improve these things. Pilates is usually also included here. You can do body&mind training every day because its intensity is relatively low.

Level 4 - Rest and recreation
The top of the pyramid means rest and recreation one day a week. The majority of the Western world’s adult population don’t need to think about this level, because rest can be found in everyday life – far too much of it! But those who train a lot, and regularly, should have at least one day’s rest every week. Then you can do some calmer yoga, meditate, walk in the woods or any other recreational activity.

Aerobic training
Some type of aerobic training is usually recommended as the next step after everyday exercise. This is because aerobic training has a beneficial effect on your heart, lungs and circulation. Aerobic training is the same as making sure you don’t get out of breath as quickly, i.e. obtaining a greater capacity to take up oxygen.

During an aerobic training session more blood is pumped around the body and more oxygen is used that when you are still. This is noticeable because the heart (your pulse) beats faster and your breathing becomes deeper and faster. In order to raise your pulse to a good working level you should work with large muscle groups in dynamic movements. This could be through Nordic walking, walking briskly, swimming fast, playing tennis, cross-country skiing or an aerobics or spinning session.

Walk or jog?
In terms of energy, you use about the same amount of calories when you walk a particular route briskly as you would if you jogged it. If you choose to walk you should use your arms actively and the speed should be such that your body gets warm. To improve your fitness you should exercise at a level where you have to put in a moderate or a reasonable amount of effort. How quickly you should move depends on how much you train. For many people walking is enough, while others have to speed up and jog.

What will produce the best results?
The answer to that question is: the form of exercise that you do. In other words, the activity you choose is of less importance, as long as you really do it. In order to have a positive effect on your aerobic fitness your heart should work harder and the amount of oxygen used in your body should increase. You should have to put in a moderate amount of effort, at least.

If, for example, you choose to swim, you need to have a certain amount of proficiency in order to come up the level of aerobic training. On the other hand, most people can manage the technique behind walking briskly or Nordic walking; that’s why these are good forms of exercise to begin with.