Understanding the Elements of a Healthy Exercise Program

You know that you should exercise because it is an important aspect of living a healthy lifestyle.

The question you may ask yourself however is how much exercise is enough? Is the exercise you are presently getting (or are planning to start getting) enough to fulfill the necessary requirements to keep your heart strong and your muscles in proper working order?

In order to get the necessary health benefits you need to exercise at least 30 minutes daily. Individuals who get this amount of exercise on a daily basis are afforded a greater level of protection from a selection of cancers, artery disease, hypertension, type II diabetes and depression as compared to those who live a very couch potato like existence. Bear in mind however that 30 minutes is the bare minimum- the more you get the better for your health and your overall sense of well-being!

Get F.I.T. Today

When you begin an exercise program you need to learn about the meaning of fit (or more to the point what the acronym F.I.T. stands for).

F= Frequency

I= Intensity

T= Time

Put them all together and you get F.I.T! This is also sometimes called the overload principle. Here is the explanation of it:

In the beginning you should do your exercises slow and not push yourself to the extreme. Ease into the program. Once you have been at it for a while and your body has adjusted then push yourself a little bit harder. Keep doing this every time you work out. This helps you to achieve the results you are seeking. It helps you to lose weight, tone up and sculpt your body. It also improves the level of fitness you are at.

Frequency is the amount of time you spend involved in physical activity. In the beginning work out two to three times a week. Intensity has to do with how much effort and energy goes into your work out. This varies tremendously from person to person! The intensity of your work out refers to how high your heart rate reaches. It can also refer to other things such as the pace with which you walk the treadmill or the track or how much weight you lift. Finally, time can be twofold- it can refer to how much time you spend working out but it can also refer to the number of repetitions involved in an individual exercise set.

Components of an Exercise Program

To get everything out of your exercise program that you need to get out of it you need to be doing three different types of exercises. These include aerobic exercise, strength training and stretching.

Aerobic exercise is a form of cardiovascular exercise because it is beneficial for the healthy functioning of the heart and the lungs. Aerobic exercise builds endurance.  Examples of aerobic exercise include walking at a brisk pace, riding a bike, swimming and running.

Strength training builds muscle mass which we all tend to start losing after we pass the age of 35. Strength training involves working out with weights or resistive bands. For optimum benefit do strength training two to three times a week for a period of 25 to 30 minutes at a time.

If you’re in doubt about the right program for you then check out the trainers at a local gym and ask them to set a course for you. Alternatively you can use a workout like the PACE Exercise Interval Program to get you up and running – or jogging!

Stretching is necessary in that it improves your flexibility and it reduces the worry over strains or injuries occurring while exercising. Stretching warms up the muscles and prepares them for what is to come. Do this before you work out and then again at the end of a work out to cool down your muscles. Do stretching exercises for a five to 10 minute period. Stretching is by far the most overlooked and under used part of a healthy exercise program but it should be utilized every time you are planning to do aerobic exercises or strength training.

Samantha