Once your doctor has okayed a general plan, you'll need to settle on the specific activities that will make up your routine. Whatever exercise plan you create, it should include the following elements:

• Cardiovascular. This is the type of exercise that gets you breathing deeply and forces your heart to work harder to pump blood. Regular cardiovascular exercise such as running, swimming, dancing, hiking or high-intensity sports improves the performance of the heart and the lungs. As a result, it's easier for your body to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and to remove wastes for sustained periods of time. Cardiovascular exercise also helps to improve conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol and helps prevent conditions including type 2 diabetes.
  
  
• Strength training. This form of exercise involves working out with weights, exercise bands and other devices that challenge your muscles and improve their strength and their endurance. As you become stronger, you'll find that you are able to lift heavy objects with less effort and for longer periods of time. As you build muscle, you'll also burn calories more efficiently, which will lead to a reduction in body fat.

It is crucial to stretch before and after exercise. Regular stretching improves the flexibility of muscles and mobility of joints, allowing people to experience a full range of motion and reducing the risk of injury during exercise.