Physical fitness (including aerobic exercise) is a key component in a weight loss and wellness program. By incorporating physical activity into your life, you can have an impact on your mind, body, and spirit. This one aspect of your program can increase longevity, help prevent illness and disability, reduce feelings of stress and aging, strengthen physical and mental endurance, and enhance feelings of self-control and self-esteem. Combined with a proper eating plan, physical activity can also boost your energy level and help you efficiently use your nutrients. Choose an exercise regimen that is tailored to fit your needs and lifestyle, and learn how to integrate physical fitness into your daily routine.
Previously inactive adults often encounter problems when they begin exercise. You can avoid such problems if you make haste slowly. It took years to get out of shape, and you won’t be able to reverse the trend overnight. Plan for gradual progress; at the start, too little may be better than too much. The best way to avoid orthopedic injury, no matter what age, is to warm up properly before beginning to exercise and to avoid overtraining--doing to much to soon.
Regular physical activity provides important benefits. Exercise, especially aerobic exercise, leads to an increased metabolic rate, which helps burn more calories and improves your body’s ability to prevent weight regain.
Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise is the cornerstone of good health, and exercises that promote cardiovascular fitness are a crucial part of a well-rounded exercise program. Cardiovascular refers to the heart’s ability to pump oxygen-rich blood to the muscles. The objective of aerobic exercise is to improve the body’s ability to utilize oxygen efficiently.
It is extremely difficult to succeed in keeping weight off over the years if you don’t engage in some type of regular physical activity. In fact, over 90 percent of the people who maintain weight loss have integrated a regular fitness routine into their lifestyles. Therefore, there is no time like the present to think about how you can incorporate physical activity into your lifestyle!
Physical Benefits of Exerise
Mental and Emotional Benefits of Exercise
Strengthens the Heart
Enhances Self-Esteem
Improves Lung Capacity
Improves Concentration
Increases Metabolic Rate
Reduces Stress
Facilitates Digestion
Increases Mental Energy
Increases Muscle Strength
Relieves Depression and Fatigue
Lowers Blood Pressure
Relieves Anxiety and Tension
Helps Control Weight
Reduces Negative Emotions
Improves Cholesterol Levels
Improves Sleep Patterns
Designing Your Personal Fitness Plan
As you begin to put the components of your program together, it is essential to follow these two general guidelines:
* Start slowly, particularly if you have been leading a sedentary lifestyle or have
specific health concerns.
* Be realistic about what you can initially accomplish at your current level of fitness.
Before you begin putting together the specifics of your fitness program, you should be aware of the following general exercise guidelines, which have been established by The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council of Exercise:
* Every American adult should accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity
physical activity over the course of most days of the week. Activities that can
contribute to the 30-minute total include walking upstairs, gardening, raking leaves,
dancing, and walking part or all of the way to and from work. The recommended 30
minutes of physical activity may also come from planned exercise or recreation, such
as jogging, playing tennis, swimming, and cycling which are mild forms of aerobic exercise.
* People who are already very active should aim to perform aerobic exercise at 60 to
80 percent of their maximum heart rate, three to five times per week, for 30 to 60
minutes per session.
* Strength training for all major muscle groups is also recommended at all activity
levels. More on resistance (strength) training later.
The Art of Pacing Yourself
You are the best judge of how much and how often you can exercise and at what intensity level. Keep in mind, however, that if you try to exercise too much too soon, you may damage your body by injuring your muscles. Therefore, remember to increase your physical activity gradually, by pushing yourself only slightly beyond your comfort zone. Your workout or activity should feel somewhat challenging, but never painful or unduly uncomfortable. You may feel stiff for the first few days after beginning an aerobic exercise program. However, this feeling should quickly disappear. If stiffness or pain persist, you should contact your physician.
You should exercise at your own pace. Whether or not you increase your activity level depends on your personal goals. Within your personal plan, you have a choice about your goals for achieving fitness.
Your Five Fitness Plan Essentials
The five basic activities that comprise your exercise program are:
Warm-Ups
Aerobic Exercise/Cardiovascular Workout
Cool-Downs
Strength Training/Muscle Toning
Stretching Exercises
A healthy balance of the three components to strive for as a minimum is:
* Aerobic Exercise: 3 to 5 times a week
* Strength Training: 2 to 3 times a week
* Stretching: Should be done after strength training and aerobics
Warm-ups are essential because they prepare your body for the move rigorous demands of the aerobic and strength training exercises that will follow. When your body is at rest, prior to beginning your workout, your muscles are receiving only a small percentage of the blood that is circulating throughout your body. Warming up increases blood flow to the muscles, which literally “warms” them. This makes the muscles more pliable and flexible, which helps protect your body against unnecessary injuries and muscle soreness. Warm-ups also allow your body’s temperature to adjust gradually to the increased blood flow that occurs during a more vigorous aerobic exercise.
Warm-ups should be done for 10 minutes prior to exercise. Walking and low-intensity cycling are great warm-up exercises. They target most of the major muscle groups, allowing you to begin slowly and to ease into your workout. At the end of your warm-up, your body will be primed for your aerobic or strength training activities.
Aerobic Exercise/Cardiovascular Workout
The word aerobic means “with oxygen.” Aerobic exercise, properly done, utilizes oxygen to improve the fitness of your heart and lungs. Your heart is a muscle, and one of the best ways to keep it in shape is with aerobic activities that strengthen the heart muscle just as they strengthen the other muscles of the body. Aerobic fitness refers to the ability of your heart and lungs to effectively deliver oxygen-carrying blood to large groups of working muscles during sustained and continuous physical movement.
Aerobic exercise is a great way to burn fat. Your fat-burning ability increases as the duration of your aerobic exercise increases and your level of fitness improves. It takes 20 minutes of continuous exercise before fat is available as a fuel source for your body. The more fit you are and longer you exercise, the more calories and fat you will burn.
Choosing an Aerobic Activity
The best aerobic exercise have the following two parameters in common:
* They utilize the large muscle groups of the body.
* They involve continuous and repetitive movements.
If your favorite aerobic exercise fulfills these two requirements, keep up your routine! Any activities that fit this description are considered aerobic exercise.
By balancing aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility in your personal exercise program, you will achieve a better balance of physical fitness. Before you know it, you’ll feel more fit and this will increase your ability to do many other types of activities without tiring as easily. As you progress each week, your endurance and stamina will increase.
