Exercise not only improves your mental, physical and emotional health, it also helps to reduce any number of major risk factors for poor health and mortality from all causes. We all lead busy lives, but it pays to make time for exercise. So, if you’re going to make time and invest in exercise, you need to get the most out of it!

4 easy steps to get the most out of exercise

Exercise involves mental and physical determination which rewards you with aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility. The beneficial effects of exercise are numerous and include a healthy cardiovascular system, muscle strength, weight loss or management, immune health, stress management, improved digestive function, maintaining a healthy mood and self-esteem.

• Step 1: Back to basics Get back to basics with a health check-up, balanced healthy diet, 6-8 glasses of water daily, a good night’s sleep and maintain a healthy family-work life balance. This provides you with a solid platform to begin any exercise.
• Step 2: Planning Current exercise recommendations include: 30 minutes on most days of the week, or accumulate 2½ to 5 hours of moderate intensity, or 1¼ to 2½ hours of vigorous intensity each week with muscle strengthening on at least 2 days. Make time to stretch before (active) and after (passive) your exercise, and build up your length and intensity gradually to reduce your risk of injury.
• Step 3: Recovery Your body needs to recover after exercising. Recovery gives you time to refuel glycogen (carbohydrate) levels in your muscles and liver, replace fluid and electrolytes lost in perspiration, make new muscle protein and repair existing muscle fibres, and balance your immune system.
• Step 4: Adding value Adding value with a few supplements can help to support your body before, during and after exercise:
  • Protein, particularly plant-based proteins such as pea or rice, provide a low-allergy, complete protein, high in branched chain amino acids (BCAA’s). BCAA’s maintain muscles during intense exercise and suppress lactic acid production, helping to reduce muscle fatigue. Protein prevents muscle breakdown and damage, maintains muscle mass for increased strength, supports performance, enhances recovery, increases fat burning and improves body composition.
  • Magnesium supports energy production helping to relieve, helps relax muscle fibres and relieves cramps, aches, pains and spasms. Magnesium, in citrate or amino acid chelate form, provides a highly bioavailable form of magnesium.
  • Ginsengs, including Korean, Siberian, American and Indian, help your body overcome fatigue and restore vitality by maintaining stamina and endurance. Ginsengs are beneficial for relieving the stress of exercise and help to restore, support and enhance mental capacity and physical performance during times of stress.

Mr Vitamins recommends

Herbs of Gold Products for exercise

• Ginseng 4 Energy
• Muscle Resuscitation
• Organic Pea Protein
• Organic Rice Protein

Find out more and shop online for these great Herbs of Gold Products for exercise here   References Braun L & Cohen M (2010), Herbs & Natural Supplements: An evidence-based guide, 3^rd Edition, Elsevier, Sydney. Bridgman K (2000), We are what we eat - Naturopathic Nutrition – Proteins. Lifestyle factors, Retrieved on 08/08/2014 from http://www.aihw.gov.au/male-health/lifestyle-factors/ Physical activity guidelines, Retrieved on 06/08/2014 from http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines/$File/FS-Adults-18-64-Years.PDF Phyto-Therapy Pty Ltd. Pizzorno JE & Murray MT (2013), Textbook of Natural Medicine, 4^th Edition, Elsevier, Missouri. Risk factors and physical inactivity, Retrieved on 08/08/2014 from http://www.aihw.gov.au/risk-factors-physical-inactivity/ The health of Australian males, Retrieved on 06/08/2014 from http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=10737419204 The health of Australia’s males: 25 years and over, Cat. no. PHE 169 Retrieved on 07/08/2014 from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2013 http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=60129543989 Zimmermann M (2001), Burgerstein’s Handbook of Nutrition; Micronutrients in the Prevention and Therapy of Disease, 9^th Edition, Thieme, New York