Editor’s Note: Dr. Kenneth Thomas is taking a break from his weekly Health and Wellness column. This will be his last column for The Star.

Exercise takes several forms with several benefits. We’re going to look at three main types of exercise today and why they’re important. And…I’ll have to be honest with you…I only like one of them! The other two are not fun to me and I really dislike doing them. But, I understand, for my body, why they’re important for my present day and long-term health.

If you’re like most people, let’s face it, you don’t like exercise and don’t want to do it. I understand. It pushes your body to uncomfortable levels. Why would any sane person do that? I want you to understand (or just trust me) that you’re going to feel better in the long run. The other thing I want you to see is that there may be some form of exercise that you actually like. Let’s look at three main types and go from there.

• Cardio training. This is the one I like. I can’t tell you why I like it or even admit that I like it all the time (because I don’t), but it is the type of exercise that comes easily to me. This type of exercise is usually what people think of when they picture exercise – it’s getting that heart pumping consistently for a determined length of time. This, like some of the other types, helps with lowering heart disease risk, blood pressure and cholesterol to name a few perks. I ran cross-country in high school but I wouldn’t say I was a consistent runner. What really had the biggest impact on me was when I was a first-year medical student and my dad, at age 53, had a triple bypass. I knew enough medicine at the time to know that put me at significant risk of heart disease at an earlier age than the general population. I knew cardio-exercise could help that, so I started running. The more I ran, the more I enjoyed it. For any of you out there who have felt that endorphin rush after finishing a run, you know what I’m talking about. It’s addicting!

If you give this type of exercise a try, start out slow. The last thing you want is an injury to set you back. Once you’re consistent, start pushing yourself. Any time it hurts, translate that into your head to getting healthier.

• Strength training. I don’t like this one — never have. Now, alternatively, I know some folks (and you probably do too) who love this type of exercise. These are your classic “gym rat.” They love strength training and are in the gym every chance they get.

Maybe this is an area that you’ll love once you give it a try. Your muscle strength peaks somewhere usually between your 20s and 40s, then declines over time. Everyone has what is called their “muscle bank.” This is the muscle reserve you have going into older ages. With strength training, you can impact the amount you bank up before your strength starts declining and, as you get older, as you continue to consistently strength train, you can lower the rate of your muscle loss. Why is this important? Well, I’ll name a couple of things: one, it’ll keep your bones stronger and, two, your balance will be better as you grow older. Even just these two things will keep you out of the hospital more, especially in those elder years.

You should shoot for strength training at least 2-3 times per week to gain these advantages. I, for example, shoot for twice a week. If I ever get to where I like it, I may bump up to three times per week … Maybe… 🙂

• Interval Training. This one has become popular recently. You may have heard it called High-Intensity Interval Training or HIIT. It has been shown to have all, if not more, of the benefits seen with cardio training, but you don’t have to commit as much time to it.

Our nature is to look for the easiest way to get something done and move on, so that’s a major part of the appeal here. Here’s the flip side, though – it’s painful. I, for example, do sprints for my HIIT. If I’m running out on the road, I’ll sprint as fast as I can from one light pole to the next then jog or walk to the next pole and so on and so on until I have done 10 sprints.

Interval training is basically trying to push your body into an anaerobic (oxygen deficient) state and that’s where you get the benefits. You really only have to do this once a week to possibly see some health benefit. Also, a warning about injuries: Since you’re moving like you stole something or a lion’s after you, there’s a significantly higher chance of an injury. Think about it. The last time you ran this fast was playing kickball in grade school.

As you read through all three of these, I hope there’s something that interests you – especially if you aren’t exercising at all at this point. None of these interest you? Go to your local gym and see what they have to offer. They usually have all kinds of classes and such that cover these three general areas of training.

At the end of the day, the important thing is to get out there and start doing something. Something is better than nothing and you’ll just have to believe me that you’ll flat out feel better for it. No matter how small your starting goal, I’m here to give you an imaginary high-five – you can do it!

• Dr. Thomas is a board-certified physician who operates Complete Health Integrative Wellness Clinic and Thomas Urology Clinic in Starkville, Mississippi. Is this column helpful or are you looking for more information? We’d love to hear from you. Go to www.CompleteHealthIWC.com or call 662-498-1400.

This newspaper column is for informational purposes only and is, under no circumstances, intended to constitute medical advice or to create or continue a physician-patient relationship.  If you have a medical emergency, you should immediately seek care from your nearest emergency room, and if you have specific health questions, you should consult your own physician.