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Leisure Fitness
Creating a well balanced exercise program
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Whether you have an established exercise regimen or are looking to establish one, chances are good thayou will benefit from mixing things up a bit. "It takes more than one type of exercise to become physically fit," says Frank Williams, store manager of Leisure Fitness in Bethesda. "Cardiovascular training will go a long way toward promoting good health and weight loss, but it isn't enough. Strength and flexibility training are also important," he says.When done in isolation, these various types of exercises provide specific benefits. When combined into an overall fitness regimen, they complement each other allowing individuals to maximize their efforts.
There's no doubt that exercise is beneficial. recent study by researchers at the Erasmus M.C. University Medical Center in Rotterdam reported that not only does physical activity reduce the risk of being overweight and developing illnesses, but it actually lowers the mortality rate. People who engage in moderate activity - roughly 30 minutes of walking, five times a week - extended their life span by nearly 18 months. Those who exercised more intensely - the equivalent of running 90 minutes, five times a week - lived about 42 months longer. Even people who already are middle aged can add years to their lives, the research claims.
Putting together a well-balanced exercise program is essential to achieving overall fitness. Those who do, according to the Rotterdam study, are likely to live healthier, more active lives. But, before deciding whatype of program will work best, it is important to understand the different types of exercises - whathey entail and what benefits they offer.
Cardiovascular exercise involves working the body in such a way as to increase the heart rate and blood flow. Cardio exercises require the movement of the body's large muscle groups over a sustained period of time. Aerobic activities such as walking, running, cycling and swimming are top cardio choices.
Among the benefits associated with cardio exercises are:
* reduced risk of heart disease
* improved heart function
* improved blood cholesterol levels
* reduced risk of osteoporosis
* improved muscle mass
* reduced levels of stress
* improved digestion
* enhanced immune-system function
A variety of fitness equipment - such as treadmills, ellipticals, steppers, and upright or recumbent bicycles - can provide optimum cardio workouts for levels ranging from novice to advanced.
Strength training is exercise that uses resistance, such as weights, to strengthen and condition the musculoskeletal system. The result is improved muscle tone and endurance. Strength training is important in preventing the muscle loss that normally accompanies the aging process.
Among the benefits associated with strength training are:
* increased metabolic rate
* increased bone density
* increased lean muscle mass and muscle strength, power, and endurance
* injury prevention
* enhanced balance, mobility and stability
* improved rehabilitation and recovery
* enhanced sports performance
Rowers (which also provide some cardiovascular benefits), home gyms, free weights, and tubes are among the types of fitness equipment that can provide the resistance necessary to increase muscle strength.
Muscle flexibility training involves stretching muscles. The aging process tightens muscles and minimizes a joint's range of motion. This can put a halt to active lifestyles. A regular stretching program can help lengthen muscles and restore youthful activity. While many people associate stretching with warmup activities, it is separate and distinct. In fact, a warm muscle is much more easily stretched than a cold one. Walking, even jogging in place, will geblood circulating throughout the body and into the muscles, preparing them to be stretched.
Among the benefits associated with muscle flexibility training are:
* reduced muscle tension
* improved posture
* enhanced range of motion
* injury prevention
* improved circulation and blood oxygenation levels
While stretches can be performed virtually anywhere, a padded floor or exercise mat can increase comfort and protect against injury.
Determining how much time to devote to cardio, strength, and flexibility training depends on your individual goals.
Many trainers recommend that, time permitting, cardiovascular exercise and strength training be performed on separate days. Combining the two into one longer session reduces the effectiveness of each type of training. For example, leg muscles, tired after 30 minutes on a treadmill, cannot lifweights with the same intensity as they would on a day without cardio.
Looking to lose weight? Try to build up to four or five days a week of aerobic exercise with sessions lasting from 30 to 60 minutes. When weight is shed, some muscle is lost. That's why strength and flexibility training are important. Consider following the cardiovascular exercise with 15 minutes of lighstretching to maintain flexibility. Experts contend that two, moderate, weight-training sessions each week will help stem the muscle loss associated with cardio exercise.
When building muscle is a top priority, strength training three times a week on alternate days, working up to sessions that last from 45-60 minutes, can help increase mass and sculpt the body. Moderate cardiovascular exercise two or three times a week will improve heart and lung capacity but not result in excessive muscle loss. Fifteen minutes of light stretching should follow the cardio.
If making moderate muscle gains while losing some fat is most appealing, then it is a good idea to devote roughly the same amount of time on cardio as strength. Three days a week on each, for about 30-45 minutes daily, should produce the desired results. Don't forget the light stretching.
For those with limited time available for exercise, circuit training is becoming a popular option. The idea behind circuit training is to alternate cardio with muscle conditioning by moving from one exercise to another with minimal rest in between. Circuit training is somewhat intense and is regimented in terms of time - 2 minutes of aerobic exercise followed by 40 seconds of pushups; after a 20-second rest it's on to 40 seconds of a shoulder press, for example. While the exercises are fairly basic, it is their arrangementhat makes the workout effective. Many circuits can be completed in as little as 30 minutes. Circuit training provides for some muscle gain and fat loss.
