Variety is
Key to Total
Wellness
A sound fitness program includes three important components:
cardiovascular exercise, resistance exercise, and flexibility
exercise. By varying your fitness routine you can reap big
benefits for your overall health and wellness.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Your heart and lungs benefit greatly from regular cardiovascular exercise. Some examples of
cardiovascular exercise that you may enjoy include walking, bicycling, swimming, rollerblading, water
aerobics, or running. As a baseline, health professionals recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of
moderate-intensity cardio exercise weekly or 75 minutes if your cardio exercise is performed at a
vigorous intensity.
During moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise, you should notice an increase in your heart rate,
but you should still be able to talk comfortably. If you are breathing hard and fast and your heart rate
is increased substantially, you are probably doing vigorous-intensity cardiovascular exercise. Many
activities (such as bicycling or swimming) can be either moderate- or vigorous-intensity depending on
your level of effort.
Resistance Exercise
Strong bones, muscles, and joints result when you engage regularly in resistance or strength
training exercises. And you don’t need to join a gym or purchase fancy weight equipment to complete
these exercises that boost muscular strength and endurance. A set of dumbbells, a resistance band,
or even soup cans may be all you need to create resistance for your muscles to work against. Aim
to incorporate strength training into your routine two days a week. Your resistance program should
include exercises that work all of the major muscles like the chest, back, legs, and shoulders. A goal
to reach towards is completing 6-8 strength training exercises, with 8–12 repetitions per exercise.
Always allow 48 hours between strength workouts for your muscles to rest and recover.
Flexibility Exercise
Flexibility refers to how fully one’s joints or limbs are able to move. Being flexible allows you to
enjoy doing the activities you love with minimal pain and discomfort. By adding stretching to your
daily fitness plan, you can help keep your joints flexible which will help you move with more freedom
and comfort. Keep these tips in mind when stretching:
• Stretching is most beneficial if performed when the muscles are warm. Stretching right after
your cardiovascular or resistance training is ideal.
• There should be no bouncing or excessive movement during stretching.
• Hold each stretch constant under mild tension for 15 to 60 seconds.
• Repeat each stretch 2-3 times.
• Aim for stretching 3-5 times a week.
Uncovering
the Benefits of
Cross-training
Once the domain of only the most serious of exercisers, the
concept of cross-training has become increasingly mainstream.
And the reason for that is simple: cross-training offers a number
of health benefits.
Defined simply, cross-training is the practice of varying your workouts — think jogging one
day, doing a yoga workout the next, and then some resistance activity the next. Or, you can
cross-train in a single day by doing cardio and resistance in a rotation, or even by cycling to
the gym for an aerobics workout. No matter which activities you choose, you can expect,
among others, these benefits:
A Boost to Overall Fitness
Because you are working a variety of muscle groups on a regular basis and combining
that with aerobic (cardiovascular activity like brisk walking, cycling, or jogging) activity, you
can expect to see a greater overall boost in your fitness level. By performing a variety of
activities, your body is more responsive to virtually any exercise you may choose.
Good-bye to Boredom
What if you ate the same thing for dinner every single night? It would get old after awhile,
wouldn’t it? Booooooring. Well, exercise is no different. Many of us become bored with the
same old routine. By cross-training, you are pushing your body — and mind — to acclimate
to new activities on a routine basis. Each workout is a new adventure and this prevents that
feeling of boredom from setting in.
Reduced Injury Risk
You may think building up your endurance performing the same activity on a regular basis
would condition your body to the action and prevent injuries. But the opposite has been
shown to be true. By varying your workout and cross-training, you are giving specific muscle
groups a break and an opportunity to “rest” on a regular basis.
How Much
Exercise Do
I Need?
Regular physical activity helps improve your overall health and
fitness and reduces your risk for many chronic diseases. Fitting
regular exercise into your daily schedule may seem difficult
at first, but the guidelines below provided by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show it may be easier than
you think to get an adequate amount:
Children (6-17 years old)
Children and adolescents should do 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day.
Aerobic activity should make up most of the 60 minutes and can include either moderateintensity activity like brisk walking, or vigorous-intensity activity like running. Vigorousintensity activity should be included at least three days per week. Muscle-strengthening
activities like push-ups and bone-strengthening activities like jumping rope or running should
be included as part of the 60 minutes at least three days a week.
Adults (18-64 years old)
Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity like brisk walking or 75
minutes of vigorous-intensity activity like jogging each week. Additionally, adults need to
perform muscle-strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups at least two days
a week. Keep in mind that the CDC says “10 Minutes at a Time is Fine,” meaning that you
can squeeze a series of workouts into a single day if time is tight.
Older Adults (65 and older)
As an older adult, physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your
health. If you are 65 or older and in generally good health, you can follow the guidelines
above. If you are not in good health, you should consult your physician for recommendations
on activity.
Am I Making
the Most of
My Workout?
Wondering how to get the most out of your workout? Here are
a few tips to help you prepare and gain maximum benefits from
your exercise sessions:
• Hydrate: Proper hydration BEFORE
you workout is key to giving you a boost
DURING your workout. You should make it
a point to drink water regularly during the
day. Dehydration can be devastating to a
workout, making you feel sluggish, or even
worse, causing major health problems.
• Fuel Up (But Be Smart About It): You
shouldn’t eat a large meal before a workout,
but it’s a good idea to have a healthy snack.
A little food in your stomach will provide an
energy boost.
• Set Goals: Having a roadmap for the short
term (this workout), mid term (in the next six
weeks), and long term (in the six months or
more) has been shown to help you stay on
track and give you something to work for.
• Endure Bad Days: Face it, they’re going to
happen. The key is enduring them instead of
skipping them altogether. A bad day in the
gym is infinitely better than a bad day on the
couch.
• Schedule It In: Planning your workouts a
week or so in advance makes it more likely
you will stick to your schedule. If you have
a fitness pal, it’s even more likely you’ll stick
to a workout schedule instead of bailing on
your friend.
• Journal: Many of us are driven by the
ability to look back and see what we’ve
accomplished. Journaling your workouts
(and successes and challenges) gives you a
point of reference to look back on and keeps
you motivated to continue.
• Embrace the Plateau: There will be times
you plateau in your workouts and you feel
like you’re not making gains. Accept you will
reach this phase and realize it is temporary.
• Enjoy It: Perform exercises and activities
you enjoy. Doing something you WANT to do
is far more enjoyable than doing something
you think you HAVE to do.
• Get Your Sleep: The more well-rested
you are the better you will perform. Getting
adequate sleep after a workout ensures your
body has time to recover. Getting adequate
sleep before a workout ensures your body
will be ready to go.
• Be Flexible (In a Couple Different
Ways): Stretching regularly can enhance
your fitness gains. And realizing that there
are times you can’t fit your workout in will
keep you from feeling “guilty” about skipping
the gym (which will eventually lead to
negative feelings about exercising).