How active should one be and what type of exercise should one do?

Being more active will mean different things to different people. It depends on your age, lifestyle and associated medical conditions. The first step should be to ascertain whether you currently do at least 30 minutes of ordinary physical activity (such as walking) in the course of one day. More intense exercise such as jogging for 20 minutes may substitute for 30 minutes of brisk walking. If you find you enjoy being more active, then you can gradually step up your activities.

By exercise is meant physical activity. This not necessarily means taking up a sport or lengthy exercises. Everyday ordinary activities such as walking or climbing stairs do also contribute to physical activity. Aerobic exercises such as brisk walking, swimming, cycling are good for the heart.

You yourself will be able to make out the right intensity of the physical activity. Put in a fair amount of effort so that your breathing becomes faster than normal, but not so much that you are gasping for breath. You should always be able to talk easily during the activity. Your pulse rate will be faster and you should also be a bit sweaty. The activity should make you feel good but not leave you exhausted.

Try to maintain your activity most of the days in a week. At least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity daily activity should be a must, but the more you can take the better. Fitness gains are similar when physical activity occurs in several short sessions (such as three 10 minutes sessions) as when the same total amount of activity occurs in one longer session. If you usually do only little physical activity, then perhaps brisk walking is a good start for you. Trying to be too ambitious too soon, might be stressful and counterproductive.