Fitness Programs
There are 3 main types of fitness programs that people can take part in. What you must consider first is what your primary goal is. Is it to get stronger? Lose weight? Maybe even get more flexible. Whatever it is will decide in what kind of program you do. The three main types are:
Aerobic: This is considered any type of activity that gets you heart into the target heart rate zone. Your target heart rate zone is calculated by taking 60-85% of 220-your age. Once you get in that zone you will want to keep it there for anywhere from 20-40 minutes. Of course when you are starting out you will want to start at the lower end of the intensity and duration bracket. This should be done most days of the week. The benefits include a stronger heart but also the release of nitric oxide which is a potent fighter against heart disease.
Resistance Training is the use of external forces “weights” to load the skeletal and muscular system. Increase in muscle mass, bone mass, and connective tissue are seen with this. Resistance training used to be only used by bodybuilders but now almost everyone who joins a fitness program does some sort of resistance training. It is very important to take up resistance training because as we age we lose muscle mass at the rate of 1%/year after the age of 30.
Flexibility Training is when you stretch muscles to increase their length. This is very important for injury prevention and posture correction. Due to a number of factors, certain muscles become tight resulting in bad posture. In order to correct this, a person must stretch and strengthen certain muscles. Also, as a person continues to exercise their muscles become tighter as well, and stretching will help correct length tension deficits at the joint. This is an extremely important factor for preventing injuries. As we get older we also become less flexible, this is an important consideration to remember. Stretching is also important for rehabilitating injuries as it breaks down scar tissue. Stretching should be done 5-6 days/ week. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds and do that 3 times. Click here for a great resource on stretching.
Remember when looking at different programs you will want to evaluate the fitness instructor to make sure you are following safe, productive programs. You can also check out my recommended fitness tips, to help you get going on the right track.
