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Home Page | Exercise of the Week | Food for Thought | Article Archive Tune Up Your Workout |
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From just minutes a week to hours a day, exactly how much exercise the average person needs to stay fit and healthy remains the topic of discussion. In 1996 the United States surgeon general told us that everybody needs thirty minutes of daily exercise, while last month a report from the Nation Academy of Science called for an hour a day of physical activity (related article: click here). This is in sharp contrast to the twenty minutes a week advocated by some slow motion exercise enthusiasts. Opposing view points are in no way confined to how long we should train, but also spills over to how we should train. Is it most important to lift weights or jog, and what about flexibility exercises � is it necessary to stretch? Indoor or outdoor, machines or free weights, yoga or calisthenics � the choices are endless, and so is the confusion and misinformation. New and sometimes improved guidelines will always emerge, and the experts will disagree on most of them. But when it comes to taking care of your own body, the best advice is stay middle-of-the-road, using a fitness plan that�s been proven to work over a long period of time. Anything that�s too extreme is probably just hype, a waste of time, and potentially dangerous. But before jumping in feet first, take a close look at what you want exercise to do for you.
WHAT DO YOU WANT MOST FROM YOUR EXERCISE PROGRAM? B. Build muscle � the best way to build muscle and change the shape of your body is with strength or resistance exercises like squats, bench presses, or push ups performed with a progressive resistance C. Build strength and endurance � the most effective way to build lasting strength and endurance is with an intelligently applied combination of aerobic and strength training D. Improve overall health � achieve and maintain overall health and reduce the risk of certain diseases and injury with a the proper mix of aerobic, strength and flexibility training WORKOUT TUNE UP GUIDELINES Strength, or resistance training is a powerful tool that will make your body grow stronger. And it�s really the only way to change your physical shape. If not done correctly, strength training will be ineffective or worse yet, harmful. When resistance exercises are done at an extreme level, or improperly performed, illness or injury is likely. The key to successful strength training is learning how to challenge your muscles in a safe manner. Flexibility exercises can balance the effect of powerful muscle contractions encountered during more intense aerobic or strength sessions. The addition of a solid flexibility program enhances physical fitness, as it increases range of motion, strength, power and performance. It�s important to include at least a small amount of each type of training. Your frequency of aerobic exercise can range from as few as two days to as many as six days per week, while strength training can run the gamut of a two to four day program. The restorative effect of stretching allows it to be performed almost every day. It�s vital that you back up exercise with sensible eating. No amount of working out can overcome the pitfalls of a diet based in fat and sugar and devoid of necessary nutrients. Here again, stay with a middle-of-the-road philosophy and proven methods of success. Avoid starvation and extreme yo-yo diet plans that just don�t work. They wind up robbing you of lean muscle mass, making weight loss even harder to achieve. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER The exercises, methods, and routines, as presented in The Firefighter�s Workout Book, provide you with clear, concise, easy-to-understand guide to all three elements of exercise, along with an entire chapter on sensible eating. This puts all of what you need to get in great shape in one place, and it comes with a flexible program that can be customized to meet your needs. No matter what program you choose to follow, be guided by these basic principles. Aerobic Exercise Stick to the basics and avoid extremities of any kind. Learn for yourself what�s real and works, and what�s false and just plain bull. Read information from credible sources and speak to local experts that you�re sure are trustworthy. Base your program on solid principles not the latest infomercial or ab gadget. Getting in shape is not something that you do overnight. Be sensible, have patience, and stay focused on the day-to-day small steps, and your body will transform.
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