NEW YEAR
NEW YOU!
YOUR GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVING
IN THE NEW YEAR
NEW YEAR
NEW YOU!
YOUR GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVING IN THE NEW YEAR
Contents
Why is Physical Fitness Important?................................................ 3
The 5 Components of Physical Fitness............................................ 4
Beginning a Fitness Program......................................................... 5
Effective Goal Setting................................................................... 6
Top 10 Diet Myths........................................................................ 7
Creating a Healthy Eating Plan...................................................... 8
The Best Way to Lose Weight....................................................... 10
Lose Weight by Drinking Water..................................................... 11
Top 10 Exercise Myths................................................................. 12
What is Interval Training?............................................................ 13
Top 5 Benefits of Stretching......................................................... 14
Spectator to 5Ker Training Program .............................................. 15
2
Why
Is Physical Fitness Important?
We all know that being physically fit is good for us, but exactly why is physical fitness important?
Here are the top 10 benefits of physical fitness:
1. You're more likely to live a long and healthy life.
Regular exercise reduces the risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes
and several types of cancer. It also reduces the risk of having a stroke. In one eight year study of more than
20,000 men, those who were lean but unfit had twice the risk of death as those who were lean and fit.
2. You'll have more energy, strength and stamina.
People who complain that they don't have enough energy to exercise fail to realize that working out gives you
energy. In one study, middle-aged women who lifted weights for a year became 27% more active in daily life
than before they started lifting weights. Regular exercise also increases your strength and stamina, allowing
you to better handle common activities such as carrying a heavy bag of groceries or climbing a flight of stairs.
3. You'll keep excess body fat off.
If you try and lose weight simply by dieting, you'll lose more water and lean muscle mass than you will body
fat. If regular exercise is a part of your weight loss program, you'll lose primarily body fat and be able to
maintain (or even gain) lean muscle mass.
4. You'll keep your bones strong.
Both men and women start losing bone mass around age 35. Lifting weights can not only stop the loss of bone
mass, but in some cases it can even reverse it. This drastically reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Weight bearing
exercises like walking and running also help keep bones strong.
5. You'll prevent or reduce low back pain.
Strengthening your abdominal and lower back muscles can help prevent low back pain, and it can also reduce
discomfort if you already suffer from this pain. You might also be able to avoid back surgery by strengthening
your abdominal and lower back muscles. In one study, 35 of 38 people who had been recommended for back
surgery were able to avoid surgery by following an aggressive strengthening program.
6. You'll get sick less often.
Both aerobic exercise and weight lifting strengthen the immune system.
7. You'll sleep better.
People who exercise regularly fall asleep faster, sleep longer and
wake up less often during the night than people who are sedentary.
8. You'll keep your mind sharp.
Multiple studies have confirmed that regular exercise is one of the
best things you can do for your mind. Regular exercise improves
brain function, which helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer's
disease.
9. You'll improve your mood.
A large amount of research shows that you have a better sense
of well-being following a workout. Thanks to chemicals released
in the brain during exercise, feelings of anxiety, depression,
anger and stress are diminished during a workout.
10. You'll enjoy life more.
Life is much more enjoyable when you're fit and healthy. You
look good and you feel good, and you're more productive in
everything you do.
Why is physical fitness important? Because many of the
problems commonly associated with aging are often the result
of a sedentary lifestyle and can be minimized or prevented by
improving your physical fitness.
3
The 5 Components of Physical Fitness
There are 5 components of physical fitness, and these components represent how fit and healthy the body is
as a whole.
Some people think that being physically fit means being in good general health. Other people think that it
means being able to lift a certain amount of weight or being able to run a particular distance in a certain time.
There's actually no single agreed upon definition of physical fitness.
One common definition is that physical fitness is a set of attributes that people have or achieve relating to their
ability to perform physical activity. Another common definition is that physical fitness is a state of well-being
with a low risk of premature health problems and energy to participate in a variety of physical activities.
Even though the definition of physical fitness can vary, there's near unanimous agreement on the 5
components of physical fitness. Here's an overview of each of the components.
1. Cardiovascular Fitness
Cardiovascular fitness (also known as cardiorespiratory fitness) is the ability of the heart, lungs and vascular
system to deliver oxygen-rich blood to working muscles during sustained physical activity. Aerobic exercise
improves cardiovascular fitness.
2. Muscular Strength
Muscular strength is the amount of force a muscle or muscle group can exert against a heavy resistance.
Anaerobic exercise improves muscular strength.
3. Muscular Endurance
Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or
muscle group to repeat a movement many times
or to hold a particular position for an extended
period of time. Both aerobic exercise and anaerobic
exercise can improve muscular endurance.
4. Flexibility
Flexibility is the degree to which an individual
muscle will lengthen. Stretching improves flexibility.
5. Body Composition
Body composition is the amount of fat in the body
compared to the amount of lean mass (muscle,
bones, organs etc.).
Now that you know what the 5 components of
physical fitness are, you'll be better able to develop
an effective fitness program.
4
Beginning a Fitness Program
Beginning a fitness program is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Here are seven tips for starting a
fitness program.
1. Check with your doctor.
If you've been inactive for a long time, or you're over 40, or you have any existing health conditions (high blood
pressure, heart trouble, diabetes etc.), you need to get medical clearance before starting a fitness program.
2. Set goals.
Goal setting has been scientifically proven to work. Goals produce action. Goals create energy and motivation.
Goals keep you focused.
3. Personalize your fitness program.
Your fitness program has to be personalized so it can meet your individual needs and goals. It has to be based
on factors such as your body type, your fitness level, your likes and dislikes, and your lifestyle.
4. Make your fitness program a priority.
Your fitness program has to be non-negotiable. Make time for your workouts and schedule them on your
calendar or planner. Don't change your workout plans for every interruption that comes along. Create a healthy
eating plan and stick to it. Exercise and healthy eating have to become things that you do without question, like
brushing your teeth or going to work.
5. Start slowly and be patient.
Many people attempt to do too much too soon when beginning a fitness program, and they burn out or get
injured. You need to start slowly and be patient. Don't expect immediate or dramatic changes in your body
shape or weight. Getting fit and healthy is not an overnight proposition, it's
a lifestyle commitment.
6. Increase your daily physical activity.
In addition to your regularly scheduled workouts, increase your
daily physical activity. This will help you in developing a healthy
mindset and lifestyle. Take a walk on your lunch break, park
in the back of the parking lot, take the stairs instead of the
elevator. There are many ways to increase your daily physical
activity.
7. Enjoy yourself.
A fitness program has to be enjoyable if it's going to become
a regular part of your life. When you first start a fitness
program you may think it's a chore, but the more you keep
at it the more enjoyable it will become.
Now that you have some guidelines for beginning a fitness
program, get started with your fitness program.
5
Effective Goal Setting
Goal setting needs to be a part of any fitness program. Here are seven guidelines for effective goal setting.
1. Goals must be specific.
Many people set goals that are vague, such as "I want to lose weight" or "I want to get in shape." Vague goals
don't generate results. A goal has to be specific enough so you know exactly what you're striving for. "I will lose
15 pounds of body fat in three months" or "I will run a 10K race in six months" are examples of specific goals.
2. Goals must be measurable.
You have to be able to determine whether or not you're making progress toward a goal. You also have to be
able to determine when you've achieved a goal.
3. Goals must be challenging but also attainable.
Many people set goals that are unrealistic, and then give up on their fitness program out of frustration. Goals
must be challenging but also attainable. If you're new to fitness, set moderately challenging goals. You can
always set more ambitious goals if you reach your goals earlier than expected.
4. Goals must have time frames.
A time frame creates a sense of urgency and keeps you focused on a goal. Divide goals into long-term, shortterm and daily goals. A long-term goal should cover three to six months and should be a goal that really
motivates you - something that's out of reach at the moment but can be accomplished eventually. A short-term
goal should cover one week to one month and should be a goal that keeps you motivated and lets you know
if you're moving in the right direction. A daily goal will give you a feeling of accomplishment and keep your
momentum going.
If you don't accomplish a goal in a given time frame, don't think of it as a failure. You just underestimated the
time frame required to accomplish the goal. Adjust your time frame to make it more realistic.
5. Goals must have emotion tied to them.
Determining the reason why you want to achieve a goal and
why that's important to you adds emotion to a goal, and the
more emotion you have the more motivated you'll be. Getting
emotionally involved with a goal impresses it deeper into your
subconscious mind, and whatever idea is fixed in your subconscious
mind will always express itself in behavior.
6. Goals must be written down.
A written goal brings clarity and focus and gives you
direction. A written goal is also a powerful reminder that you can
use to keep yourself on track. Start each written goal with "I" in
order to make the goal more personal and empowering. Write
goals in the positive, not the negative. Focus on what you hope
to achieve, not what you want to leave behind.
a
7. Goals must be read.
Goals need to be read on a regular basis. Regularly reading goals impresses
them deeper into your subconscious mind.
As you can see, effective goal setting does not have to be difficult or
complicated. Anyone can create a strong set of goals by following some basic
guidelines.
6
Top 10 Diet Myths
There are a lot of diet myths out there. Here are 10 of the most common ones.
1. Very low calorie diets are the best way to lose weight.
A very low calorie diet will cause your body to go into "starvation mode." Once your body is in starvation mode,
your metabolism will slow down, you'll lose muscle as your body starts using muscle for energy, and it will
become very difficult to lose fat as your body tries to hold on to its fat stores. You have to cut back on calories
in order to lose weight, but you should never drastically reduce calories.
2. All fat is bad.
The truth is that the body needs fat in order to function properly, but you need to eat the right type of fat.
Unsaturated fat is healthy fat that can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduce the risk for heart disease.
Some saturated fat is needed by the body, but too much can raise LDL cholesterol and increase the risk for
heart disease. Trans fat raises LDL cholesterol, lowers HDL (good) cholesterol, and increases the risk for heart
disease and some types of cancer.
3. Carbohydrates make you fat.
What makes you fat is eating more calories than your body needs, regardless of if the calories come from
carbohydrates, fats or proteins. Carbohydrates are the body's primary energy source, so they need to be a part
of your diet. But some people are more carbohydrate sensitive than others, and they would need to limit their
intake of carbohydrates, especially simple carbohydrates, if they're trying to lose weight.
4. Dietary cholesterol causes high blood cholesterol.
The truth is that most of the cholesterol found in the body is produced in the liver and only a small part of it
comes from dietary cholesterol. As long as you don't have a genetic predisposition for high cholesterol, dietary
cholesterol will most likely have minimal effect on your blood cholesterol level.
5. Eating at night makes you fat.
This is one of the newer diet myths. The truth is that no matter when you eat, if you don't use all of the calories
you've consumed your body will store the extra calories as fat. If you're less active at night, then you need to
eat less at night. If you work out at night, especially if you lift weights, then you need to make sure that you eat
enough after your workout to fuel muscle recovery and growth. Adjust your food intake based on your energy
expenditure.
6. Low-fat or fat-free means low calories.
Even though a gram of fat contains 9 calories and a gram of protein or carbohydrate only contains 4 calories,
don't assume all low-fat and fat-free foods are low in calories. Many low-fat and fat-free foods are actually high
in calories because sugar and refined starches have been added to them to make up for the lost fat. Don't just
check the fat content of your food, also look at the number of calories.
7. Certain foods can burn fat.
This is one of those diet myths that comes and goes. There are some foods,
such as fibrous vegetables and lean proteins that have a high thermic effect
and a low calorie density. This means that a lot of the calories in these foods
are burned off during digestion. But there are no foods that can burn fat from
your body.
8. Brown color equals whole grain.
Just because a food is brown in color doesn't mean it contains whole grain.
You need to look on the label to see if "whole wheat" or "whole grain" is one
of the listed ingredients.
9. Skim and low-fat milk have less calcium than whole milk.
Skim and low-fat milk actually have more calcium than whole milk
because the calcium is in the watery part of the milk, not the creamy
part.
10. Diet sodas help you lose weight.
Not necessarily. Even though diet sodas contain little or no calories,
recent research strongly suggests that the artificial sweeteners in diet
sodas may actually increase your appetite.
7
Creating a Healthy Eating Plan
Having a healthy eating plan is just as important as having a regular exercise routine when it comes to getting
and staying fit and healthy.
Proper nutrition helps you manage your weight, helps keep your muscles and bones strong, gives you energy,
strengthens your immune system, and reduces your risk for developing high cholesterol, cardiovascular
disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
But what's the right way to eat?
Even though there are countless diet and nutrition programs on the market that claim that their way of eating
is the right way to eat, the reality is that no single eating plan works for everyone.
What types of food you should eat, what mix of protein, carbohydrate and fat you should eat, and how much
food you should eat depends on factors such as your body type, your health and fitness goals, how much
exercise you do, what types of exercise you do, and your likes and dislikes.
In other words, your healthy eating plan has to be personalized so it can meet your individual needs and goals.
The more personalized your healthy eating plan is, the more likely you'll be to stick with it. And that's the whole
idea behind a healthy eating plan. It's not a temporary way of eating like a diet is, it's a permanent way of
eating that you can follow for a lifetime.
Here are 10 guidelines for creating and following a healthy eating plan:
1. Make gradual changes to your eating habits.
Don't completely change your diet all at once, as this will increase
the chances that you'll give up on a new eating plan. Make gradual
changes to your diet and these changes will eventually become
habits.
2. Eat breakfast.
Eating breakfast provides your body with the nutrients and
energy it needs after a night of fasting. It also jump starts your
metabolism. Your breakfast should include protein and complex
carbohydrates. Avoid simple carbohydrates that contain white
flour or white sugar, as they will cause your blood sugar level to
rapidly rise and then drop, which will leave you feeling hungry
and tired.
3. Eat smaller, more frequent meals.
Eating five or six smaller meals or snacks throughout the day
instead of two or three big meals will help keep your blood
sugar level steady (which will help prevent cravings), will help
keep your metabolism elevated, and will provide you with a
consistent supply of nutrients and energy.
4. Don't eliminate macronutrients.
Your healthy eating plan needs to include all three
macronutrients - protein, carbohydrate and fat - as your body
needs all three in order to function properly and stay healthy. As
previously stated, you do need to determine what mix of protein,
carbohydrate and fat works best for you, but you should never
eliminate any of these macronutrients from your diet.
8
Creating a Healthy Eating Plan (continued)
5. Eat primarily lean protein.
The majority of the protein in your diet should be lean protein
that comes from foods such as chicken breast, turkey breast
and low-fat or non-fat dairy products.
6. Eat primarily complex carbohydrates.
The majority of the carbs in your diet should be complex carbs
that come from foods such as whole grains, vegetables, beans
and brown rice. Limit simple carbs that contain white flour or
white sugar.
7. Eat primarily unsaturated fat.
The majority of the fat in your diet should be unsaturated fat
that comes from foods such as olive oil, nuts, natural peanut
butter, fatty fish and fish oil. Limit saturated fat (but you
do need some in your diet) and avoid trans fats as much as
possible.
8. Eat plenty of fiber.
Eating plenty of fiber will help keep your blood sugar level
steady (which will help prevent cravings), will help your body
better absorb the nutrients from food, and will help keep you
regular.
9. Drink plenty of water.
The importance of drinking water should not be overlooked.
Here are just a few of the health benefits of water: It removes
toxins and waste products from your body. It enhances
digestion and helps prevent constipation. It helps your body
metabolize stored fat. It's a natural appetite suppressant.
10. Don't deprive yourself.
Your healthy eating plan doesn't have to be perfect and it can
include some of your favorite unhealthy foods - just don't eat
them too often or in large amounts.
In conclusion, now that you have some guidelines for creating
and following a healthy eating plan, get started on developing
the type of eating plan that works best for you.
9
The Best Way to Lose Weight
The best way to lose weight is really quite simple. You have to
follow a fat loss nutrition plan and increase your physical activity.
But far too many people try to lose weight the wrong way. They go
on a very low calorie diet and do little or no exercise.
You'll lose weight initially on a very low calorie diet, but you'll often
lose more water than body fat since very low calorie diets tend to be
dehydrating.
A very low calorie diet will also cause your body to go into "starvation mode."
Once your body is in starvation mode, your metabolism will slow down, you'll
lose muscle as your body starts using muscle for energy, and it will become
very difficult to lose fat as your body tries to hold on to its fat stores.
The combination of hunger and fat loss becoming very difficult is what
causes people to give up on very low calorie diets. And once the diet is
over, most people go back to their old eating habits and end up gaining back
any weight that they lost - only now they have less muscle and a slower
metabolism.
You have to forget about drastically reducing calories if you want to
effectively lose weight and keep it off. Instead, you have to follow a fat loss
nutrition plan and increase your physical activity. Here's why this is the best
way to lose weight.
A fat loss nutrition plan is based on cutting back on calories, not on drastically
reducing them. It's also based on you as an individual - your body type, your
genetics, your metabolism, and what mix of protein, carbohydrate and fat
works best for you. A fat loss nutrition plan is not a temporary way of eating
like a diet is, it's a healthy way of eating that can be followed for a lifetime.
Increased physical activity, in the form of both aerobic exercise and strength training, is just as important as
nutrition when it comes to losing weight. Aerobic exercise burns calories. Strength training builds lean muscle
mass, which is metabolically active tissue. This means that the more lean muscle mass you have the higher
your metabolism will be. The higher your metabolism, the more calories your body burns to maintain itself.
When you combine a fat loss nutrition plan with aerobic exercise and strength training, each one complements
and enhances the others, resulting in maximum fat loss in a healthy and safe way.
But if following a fat loss nutrition plan and increasing physical activity is such an effective way to lose weight,
why don't more people follow this template?
It's because there are so many diet programs and weight loss products that are advertised as being fast and
easy - and fast and easy sells. But if there was such a thing as fast and easy weight loss, there wouldn't be so
many overweight and obese people.
Following a fat loss nutrition plan and increasing physical activity requires making lifestyle changes, but it truly
is the best way to lose weight.
10
Lose Weight by Drinking Water
Can you really lose weight by drinking water? Here's what you need to know about water and weight loss.
The human body is anywhere from 55% to 78% water depending on age, gender and amount of body fat.
Water is the catalyst in all metabolic functions throughout the body and it has a variety of health benefits.
Water can also help you lose weight. Here's how.
One of the important functions of your kidneys is to eliminate waste products from your body through your
urine. When you're dehydrated, your body's instinctive reaction is to hold on to whatever water it does have
in order to survive. When this water retention occurs, the waste products in your body aren't flushed out, and
they build up in your system.
At this point, your liver will try to help alleviate this build up of waste products. But when your liver helps out, it
becomes harder for your liver to do its own jobs, one of which is burning stored body fat for energy. The result
is that your body may not be able to burn fat as efficiently as possible.
There are two other ways that water helps with weight loss: Water contains no calories, so substituting water
for other beverages is a great way to reduce calories. Water is
also a natural appetite suppressant.
So how much water should you be drinking? Eight
8-ounce glasses of water a day is a commonly
quoted amount, but this is just a general rule.
The amount can vary widely from person to
person depending on factors such as age,
physical condition, activity level and climate.
If you drink enough water so you rarely feel
thirsty and you produce urine that's clear or
light yellow, your water intake is most likely
adequate.
You also need to make sure that the
water you drink is as clean and healthy as
possible. This is why filtered drinking water
is preferred instead of tap water or bottled
water.
Tap water contains trace amounts of a
variety of contaminants, such as chlorine,
lead and pesticides.
Bottled water is often little more than tap
water in a bottle. There are no government
standards that require bottled water to be
any better, purer or safer than tap water.
Using a water filter is the only way to
ensure that the water you drink is clean
and healthy.
In conclusion, now that you know that it's
possible to lose weight by drinking water,
make sure that your weight loss program
includes plenty of good, clean water.
11
Top 10 Exercise Myths
There are a lot of exercise myths out there. Here are 10 of the most common ones.
1. Spot reducing is possible.
Spot reducing is based on the flawed notion that it's possible to "burn off" fat
from a specific area of the body by selectively exercising that area. Exercising
a specific area of your body will build and strengthen the underlying muscle,
but it will have no direct effect on fat loss in that area.
2. Sit-ups are a good ab exercise.
Sit-ups are actually one of the worst ab exercises you can do. Sit-ups
work the hip flexor muscles more than the ab muscles, and sit-ups can
be hard on the lower back.
3. Low intensity aerobic exercise is best for fat loss.
Low intensity aerobic exercise burns a high percentage of fat compared
to total calories burned, but high intensity aerobic exercise burns more
total calories. High intensity aerobic exercise also causes your metabolism
to be elevated after your workout is over, while low intensity aerobic exercise
has very little effect on your metabolism. The higher your metabolism, the more
calories your body burns to maintain itself and the more body fat you lose.
4. Weight lifting has little effect on fat loss.
Weight lifting actually plays a key role in losing body fat. Weight lifting builds and maintains
lean muscle mass, which is metabolically active tissue. This means that the more lean muscle
mass you have the higher your metabolism will be. The higher your metabolism, the more calories
your body burns to maintain itself and the more body fat you lose.
5. Women will develop big, bulky muscles if they lift weights.
The truth is that women don't have enough of the hormone testosterone (a key hormone for building muscle)
to develop big, bulky muscles. Without using steroids to unnaturally alter their testosterone levels, it's not
possible for women to develop big, bulky muscles.
6. Women should use light weight and do high reps when lifting weights.
There's a misconception that weight lifting for women is all about performing sets of high reps using light
weight in order to get a more toned look. The reality is that in order to get a more toned look, you have to
increase lean muscle mass. The rep range that builds the most lean muscle mass is 8-12 reps per set, so the
weight you use each set has to be heavy enough so that you can't perform more than 12 reps in good form.
7. The more exercise the better.
This is one of those exercise myths that too many people believe is accurate. The truth is that you can get too
much exercise, and it can lead to burnout and/or injury. When it comes to exercise, you need an appropriate
balance of training and rest.
8. Stretching is a good way to warm up before exercising.
You should never stretch cold muscles. Stretching cold muscles can cause injury, and several studies have
shown that stretching cold muscles slightly decreases muscle strength and power for up to an hour after
stretching. Warm up first, then stretch. Or stretch after your workout.
9. Your muscles will turn to fat if you stop exercising.
This is one of those exercise myths that's been around for a long time. The truth is that fat and muscle are two
different types of tissue, so one cannot convert to the other.
10. Muscle weighs more than fat.
Muscle does not weigh more than fat - one pound of muscle and one pound of fat both weigh one pound. But
muscle is more dense than fat, which means that one pound of muscle takes up less space than one pound of
fat.
Don't be fooled by any of these exercise myths. Rely on proven information to help you meet your health and
fitness goals.
12
What Is Interval Training?
What is interval training and why is it growing in popularity?
Interval training, also known as high intensity interval
training or HIIT, consists of alternating high intensity
"work intervals" with low to moderate intensity
"recovery intervals."
For example, you sprint 50 yards and then walk 50
yards, and then continue to alternate these work and
recovery intervals. Or you pedal at a fast pace on a
stationary bike for 30 seconds and then pedal at a
moderate pace for 60 seconds, and then continue to
alternate these work and recovery intervals.
There are many different approaches to interval
training, and each involves factors such as the number
of intervals per workout, the level of intensity of the
intervals, the length of time of the intervals, and
whether the intervals are performed on a specific type
of equipment or not. In general, an interval training
workout should last 10 to 20 minutes (not including
warm up and cool down) and should be performed
two or three times per week.
For many years, most fitness experts thought that
long, continuous aerobic exercise was the only way to
improve cardiovascular fitness and lose weight. This
was because early exercise research focused almost
exclusively on this form of aerobic exercise.
While there's no doubt that long, continuous aerobic exercise has its benefits, a lot of current exercise research
is showing that interval training is more beneficial. This is why an increasing number of fitness experts are now
recommending interval training in addition to or instead of traditional aerobic exercise.
Here are the primary benefits of interval training:
• Interval training burns a lot of calories.
• Interval training not only burns a lot of calories during the workout, it also causes your metabolism to be
elevated for several hours after the workout is over. This increase in metabolism is called excess postexercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC for short. An elevated metabolism causes your body to burn more
calories to maintain itself. Your metabolism stays elevated much longer after an interval training workout
than after a traditional aerobic workout.
• Interval training increases levels of fat burning hormones.
• Interval training increases levels of testosterone and human growth hormone. These hormones decrease
body fat, increase lean muscle mass, boost energy, and help keep bones strong and healthy.
• Traditional aerobic exercise can sometimes decrease testosterone levels.
• Interval training improves cardiovascular fitness.
• Several studies have shown that interval training is more effective than traditional aerobic exercise at
improving cardiovascular fitness.
• Interval training is time efficient.
• Interval training requires less time than traditional aerobic exercise.
• Interval training is not easy, so if you've been inactive for a long time, or you're over 40, or you have any
existing health conditions (high blood pressure, heart trouble, diabetes etc.), you need to get medical
clearance before giving it a try.
13
Top 5 Benefits of Stretching
There are several benefits of stretching, and stretching needs to be a part of your fitness program.
Stretching, in its most basic form, is a natural and instinctive activity. People often stretch instinctively after
waking from sleep or after long periods of inactivity.
As a form of exercise, stretching involves elongating a specific muscle or muscle group to its fullest length.
Here are the top five benefits of stretching:
1. Increases flexibility.
Flexibility is the degree to which an individual muscle will lengthen. As you get older, your muscles begin to
shorten and tighten, restricting your flexibility. This restricted flexibility causes your movement to become
slower and less fluid and makes you much more susceptible to muscle strains, ligament sprains and other soft
tissue injuries. Stretching is the most effective way to increase flexibility.
2. Improves circulation.
Stretching increases blood flow to the muscles. This increased blood flow brings more nourishment to the
muscles and removes more waste byproducts from the muscles. Increased blood flow can also help speed up
recovery from muscle and joint injuries.
3. Improves balance and coordination.
The increased flexibility that comes from stretching improves balance and coordination. Improved balance and
coordination lowers the risk for falls.
4. Helps alleviate lower back pain.
Stiff and tight muscles in the lower back, hamstrings, buttocks and hips is one of the more common causes of
lower back pain. Stretching these muscles will alleviate the pain.
5. Helps keep the heart healthy.
Recent studies have found that stretching can improve artery function and lower blood pressure.
In conclusion, don't overlook the benefits of stretching. Make sure that stretching is a regular part of your
fitness program.
Source: ACSM/Functional Fitness Facts.com/Art of Strength.com
14
Spectator to 5Ker Training Program
So you want to run a 5K? Below are some guidelines to help you along the way. Please be sure to discuss
any questions you may have with a qualified trainer.
Warm-up: All training sessions should begin with a thorough warm-up consisting of about 5 minutes of
brisk walking, starting at a slower pace and gradually increasing over the course of 5 minutes. The warmup should immediately precede all training sessions.
Run/Walk: The sample training schedule below is designed utilizing a 10-week progressive run/walk
training approach that will allow you to gradual build up to run the 5K distance in time for your event. If at
any point during the course of the training you feel that you do not need the walking breaks, you are not
required to take them.
Hydration: Keep a water bottle with you throughout your training and remember to drink often. It is
increasingly important to stay hydrated during warmer weather.
Cool-Down: All training sessions should end with a 5 minute cool-down. The cool-down is the exact
opposite of the warm-up. Gradually decrease your pace down to a walk and then continue to walk for
approximately 5 minutes.
Stretching: The cool-down should be followed by some light static stretching focusing on the muscle
groups used during the training.
Following these points should help you achieve success in your endeavor to run a 5K. We hope you enjoy
the experience of developing a healthy running habit. Happy Running!
SAMPLE TRAINING CALENDAR - 1st month:
15
SAMPLE TRAINING CALENDAR - 2nd month:
SAMPLE TRAINING CALENDAR - 3rd month:
16