We all know that exercise is good for us. It boosts our energy, lifts our mood, sharpens our minds and gives us a reason to get outside. But even the most passionate exercisers — and certainly the rest of us — occasionally need a little inspiration to get started.
This year, our fitness reporting helped us find even more reasons to keep moving, including ways to make your daily walk more interesting and tips for easing pain through exercise. We also gathered advice for working out well into our golden years.
Here are some of our favorite lessons from our fitness coverage this year.
The ‘Japanese walking’ trend is a simple, effective workout.
On the Well desk, we see a lot of exercise fads. And while all movement is good, plenty of trending workouts aren’t worth your time. “Japanese walking,” a form of interval walking that took over social media this summer, was a rare exception.
The idea is simple: Walk fast for three minutes, then walk slow for three minutes, alternating back and forth for at least 30 minutes. Some research suggests that varying your walking intensity in this way may improve blood pressure, cardiovascular health and leg strength more than keeping the same pace.
The run-walk method can help you run farther.
If you feel comfortable walking fast for a few intervals, consider increasing the challenge by mixing in some running. Or, if you are a runner looking to go even longer distances, the run-walk method can help you get there.
While there’s no perfect run-walk ratio for everyone, here are a few tips to get you started with this popular training technique.
You can get stronger without weights.
Strength training offers diverse benefits for people of all ages. But walking into a weight room — with its heavy barbells and special odors — can be intimidating. So, can you get the same workout at home just with body weight exercises?
With some creativity, the answer is yes. Whether you’re swinging a kettlebell or hanging from a pull-up bar, the key is making sure you’re progressively working harder. Here’s what to know about crafting an at-home strength routine that mimics a gym workout.
Strength training can help ease knee pain.
Research has increasingly shown that strength training is one of the most effective ways to prevent and combat knee pain.
Here are some of the best exercises — from squats to dead lifts to clamshells — to keep the muscles around your knees strong and supportive.
And back pain doesn’t have to stop you from working out.
Just as with knee pain, one of the best ways to ease back discomfort is often to keep moving.
While many people with chronic back pain are afraid to work out, taking regular breaks to move, strengthening your core and doing low-impact cardio exercises can all be effective ways to manage back pain.
Some of the best forms of exercise are free.
From the beaches of Brazil to the frozen expanses of Finland, other cultures can offer Americans a lot to learn about exercise.
For instance, in many other countries, the goal of exercise is getting outside and embracing the challenge — bad weather and all — with company. But perhaps the biggest lesson that Americans could learn is to stop thinking of a workout as something you need to buy.
Middle age can be your apex.
Over the hill, past your prime, on the decline — these ideas don’t have to define you after a certain age. If you’re patient, it is very possible to put on muscle and get stronger as you get older.
For some people, middle age can even be when they peak in fitness. You might not sprint like you once did, but if you properly balance hard work and rest, your best days could still be ahead.
You’re never to old to make friends and lift weights …
If you think that lifting heavy is a young person’s game, think again. In one Detroit suburb, a group of seniors have come together in a gym called Greysteel to see how hard they can push themselves.
The workouts are built around four simple lifts to build functional strength. And while these exercisers may have come for the training, many of the gym’s regulars say they stayed for the sense of community.
… or to fall in love with exercise.
Charlotte Chopin, a French yoga teacher, came late to the practice of yoga but has continued with it into her centenarian years.
Her secret? Lots of practice and a positive attitude, she said.
The benefits of exercise are as much mental as physical.
Anyone who exercises regularly can tell you how good they feel after a solid workout — sharper, happier, more invigorated. After a while, many exercisers find that the mental boost is as motivating as the muscular one.
For people with depression and anxiety, exercise can have an especially powerful impact on mental health.
Erik Vance is a staff editor for The Times’s Well desk, where he focuses on coverage of fitness and a healthy lifestyle.
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