Guidelines for 3 Hours of Exercise Per Week for Hypertensive Patients: Indoor Exercise Bike and Pre-Meal Exercise

It's recommended to exercise for about 3 hours a week:

Exercise time: At least 30 minutes a day, ideally 60 minutes.

It doesn't need to be every day. 3-6 times a week, totaling over 180 minutes per week, is sufficient.

For example, 30 minutes a day for 6 days a week, or 1 hour a day for 3 days a week, is also fine. However, 2 or 3 hours a day is unnecessary and overly strenuous.

It's more effective to spread your week's worth of exercise over several days than to try to do it all at once. Sometimes, being too busy makes it difficult to find time for exercise. In this case, simply divide your daily exercise into two or three days. In daily life, try to create opportunities for exercise. For example, office workers can get off the bus or train one stop early and walk to work; try to take the stairs instead of elevators; take a walk near the office during lunch break; housewives can take a slightly longer route to shop, etc.

Skillfully incorporating exercise into daily life and making it a habit is also a good approach.

Some people say they already get 30 minutes or an hour of physical activity a day from work or housework. However, this type of activity generally doesn't count towards exercise therapy. Those who are active at work or at home should also ensure they have time for exercise therapy separately.

Walking is the most basic form of easy exercise and can be considered a beginner's guide. There are also other suitable exercises.

Indoor exercise can utilize an exercise bike: Like walking, cycling on an exercise bike is one of the most suitable forms of easy exercise. The exercise load can be easily adjusted, and the pulse rate is automatically recorded during training. Most importantly, it allows you to maintain an exercise speed suitable for your physical condition. Furthermore, because it's done while seated, it reduces the burden on the lower back and knees, eliminating concerns about injury.

This method is suitable for people with lower back pain, obese individuals, the elderly, and "exercise beginners" who have rarely exercised before.

Cycling can be done indoors, regardless of weather or time of day, and can be done anytime. You can chat, watch TV or videos, listen to music, read, or practice English conversation while doing something you enjoy, such as cycling on an exercise bike.

Easy exercise, of course, means exercise that is easy to do, and this "exercise while doing other things" approach is achievable. The ability to effectively utilize time and exercise easily is indeed a major appeal.

Pre-meal exercise is recommended: There are no fixed time restrictions for exercise. You can do it anytime, anywhere, whenever you like. However, considering its relationship with diet, exercising before meals will have better effects.

The advantage of exercising before meals is that food tastes better on an empty stomach, and it's less likely to cause weight gain. Because of the increased metabolism from exercise, more calories are burned than usual. As a result, food is converted into energy and burned off. Therefore, those who don't want to gain weight should exercise before meals.