Choosing One’s Fitness Type

Robert Rodale, publisher of Fitness for Living magazine, lists three broad types of fitness which appeal to average people:

• Cardiovascular Exercises. These exercises condition heart and lungs to improve oxygen intake and provide protection against heart attacks. Brisk walking, jogging, bicycling, climbing, swimming and sports are the exercises widely used. Exercise increases the heartbeat, thus promoting cardiovascular fitness.

• Strengthening Exercises. Young people go for body power improvement in a big way, but it also appeals to middle-aged men and women who are looking for greater ability at sports and health benefits like prevention of low back pain. Calisthenics, isometrics (exercises in which muscles are contracted against each other or in opposition to fixed objects) and light weight training are the most popular strength-building exercises.

• Body-Contouring Exercises. Streamlining waists and hips, trimming down thighs, and filling out the arms are some typical goals of many people. Calisthenics will help, but so will cardiovascular exercises like jogging and swimming. A variety of exercise is best for achieving the goal.

It’s Your Decision. Do some thinking now and decide what kind of fitness you want to achieve. Maybe you are after several kinds of fitness. It might help to list them down in the order you consider important. If peak physical performance is your priority, then go for it.

Next step in blasting yourself into movement is to think of all the types of exercises you know how to do and enjoy doing, particularly the kinds which will help you reach your fitness goal. If your personal list of physical activities does not run to at least seven items, you have a lot of learning and self-education to do to increase your chances of maintaining a constant and pleasurable fitness program.

Right Time to Exercise. Picking a time for exercise is a problem for some people. Many of the exercise books say that you should set aside a definite time each day for exercise, a practice which probably suits some people but not necessarily all.

The beginners who are only starting to follow an exercise program may get hung up on when to start. He may think he is too groggy in the morning before breakfast, too rushed after breakfast, too busy to exercise at work, and too tired in the evening. Actually, he is just making excuses by telling himself that at certain times of the day he is too lethargic to get moving.

Experienced exercisers know that there is nothing like a little movement to spin the cobwebs out of the mind and perk up flagging spirits, especially if the exercise is something one enjoys. But you have to make a start sometime – anytime – to know that a fitness program can really be fun.

Seek out the fun in fitness, and you’ll be sure to start making time for exercise because almost everyone can make time for fun.