Basic Fitness Needs For a Lean Body
Many people are under the mistaken impression that fitness means staying in shape all the time. Unfortunately, being fit is not just a matter of staying healthy. Physical fitness is simply a condition of well-being and good health and, more importantly, the capacity to do various parts of physical activities, jobs, and recreational activities well. Physical fitness is typically achieved through regular exercise, proper nutrition, and adequate rest.
One of the most common misconceptions about fitness is that it requires you to do lengthy exercise routines. This can actually have the opposite effect on your health. Long, drawn-out exercise can actually decrease your efficiency and cause problems with your muscles and joints. For example, instead of stretching, you may be more likely to pull a muscle or even hurt yourself.
When it comes to fitness, it's important to remember that muscle strength is far more important than body fat percentage. Body fat can actually prevent you from having a high level of fitness. If you don't have a lot of body fat, you can have a higher strength rating than if you are very heavy. In fact, you can have the reverse effect: If you have a lot of body fat, you may not have as much strength as you could if you were physically fit.
Another major myth about fitness is that you need to be in extremely good shape in order to be an effective exerciser. In reality, you can be fit and still be an effective exerciser. Indeed, even the athlete who needs to rely on a physical fitness training routine can do so successfully if their heart rate and workout intensity are properly monitored.
The fact is that cardiorespiratory endurance athletes (people who train for cardiovascular events like marathons or triathlons) have some of the lowest rates of mortality of any group of athletes. Cardiovascular fitness includes many different things; you can improve your cardiovascular fitness by improving your diet, adding regular exercise to your daily routine, and using heart-healthy exercises such as yoga. Strength-building aerobic activity is another way to improve your cardiovascular fitness. Finally, people who are highly motivated can benefit from more intense workouts, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
Aerobic activity has been shown to improve your health by raising your heart rate and increasing your muscle strength. You can get fit by running, cycling, swimming, and playing sports like basketball, tennis, or soccer. You can build strength and endurance by participating in weight-lifting, sprinting, or strength training. Low-impact aerobic activity is a great way to stay physically fit. In fact, even walking is an aerobic activity, as it uses nearly all of your body's muscles.
Aerobic fitness should be part of your fitness plan for overall health. It improves your muscular strength, but it also lowers your resting heart rate. You can get fit by doing low-impact aerobic activities like walking, jogging, running, riding a bike, or swimming. You can improve your fitness level by adding more high-intensity aerobic activity to your daily routine. Finally, people who are highly motivated can benefit from more intense workouts, including high-intensity sprints and Interval training.
Flexibility improves your range of motion and enhances your body composition. You can improve your flexibility by stretching; however, it's important to remember that most stretches actually only target one aspect of your body (your flexibility). A comprehensive flexibility program should include muscle strengthening, range-of-motion exercises, and stretching. This will help you not only feel better but will improve your body composition (muscular fat/fat and joint stability). You can do a one-week flexibility program consisting of low impact, muscle-strengthening exercises to begin.
