5 Components of a Fitness Routine

Do you currently have a fitness routine or are you contemplating beginning a fitness routine? Then you need to make sure your routine includes all five primary elements of a balanced fitness training routine: stretching, aerobics, core exercises, muscle fitness, and balance training.

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The most beneficial stretching occurs after your muscles have become warm. Some people will walk or perform a low intensity exercise for 5 or 10 minutes before they begin their stretching routine. I have access to a sauna and have found that beginning my fitness routine by stretching while in the sauna works really well because my muscles are warm and receptive to stretching. I also stretch in the sauna at the end of my routine.

Stretching will improve range of motion of the joints and generally results in better posture and less back problems. Some people even report that stretching helps to relieve stress (think yoga).

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Aerobics ("the presence of oxygen") plays an important role in most fitness routines. Aerobic (also called "cardio") routines increase the amount of oxygen in your blood by causing you to breathe deeper and at faster rates. This type of routine also elevates your heart rate, which is generally considered to be another desired outcome of your routine. If you visualize your aerobic fitness on a continuum, your heart, lungs, and blood vessels work more efficiently as you improve on the fitness scale. Your level of aerobic fitness is what determines your ability to perform the normal tasks of life, such as walking up a flight of stairs.

Your heart rate increases when you engage in any type of aerobic activity (i.e. vacuuming the house, shoveling snow, raking leaves, dancing, walking, or jogging). A reasonable goal for most people is to perform some type of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes every day.

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Your fitness training routine should include exercises that improve the strength of your core. Your core muscles (abdomen, lower back, and pelvis) facilitate movement in both your upper body and your lower body.

Core muscles both protect and strengthen the spine while helping us to more effectively move in a coordinated manner. When you are searching for core exercises to perform, look for exercises that require you to use the trunk of your body with only very minimal support. For example, when standing with your feet shoulder-width and hands on your hips, bend forward at your waist, then back to upright. You can also bend to each side. You can also lie on the floor and practice a variety of abdominal crunches.

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Muscular fitness is generally achieved through some type of strength training. Most of visualize "pumping iron" when we think of muscular fitness. While all sorts of equipment is available at commercial gyms, you also have the option of training at home or even in your hotel room while traveling. Dumbbells are the most obvious solution for many people. However, you might want to consider resistance bands, push-ups, crunches, and squats.

You may never achieve huge well-defined muscles, but if you will dedicate part of your workout routine to strength training, you will not only increase your bone strength but you will also be able to maintain your muscle mass while you are trying to lose weight.

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Do not neglect to include some type of balance training in your fitness routine. You can suffer from poor balance even if you properly stretch, work up a sweat with aerobics, develop your core, and create great muscle mass.

I can attest to the fact that our sense of balance tends to get worse as we get older. Imagine, for example, not being able to climb more than 3 or 4 feet up a ladder. You can search the Internet for a variety of balance exercises, but let me suggest that you incorporate simply standing on one leg for awhile then the other so that you can improve your stability and balance.

You can create your own fitness routine or get help from a professional. Either way, make sure your plan incorporates all five primary elements of a balanced fitness training routine: stretching, aerobics, core exercises, muscle fitness, and balance training. You don't necessarily need to incorporate every one of these elements into every one of your workouts. Just plan to do each one on a regular basis in order to get the most from the time and effort you spend exercising.

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