Aerobic activity, also known as cardio or endurance activity, is the core of most fitness training programs. Aerobic activity or exercise causes you to breathe faster and more deeply. The breathing boosts how much oxygen is in the blood. The heart will beat faster, which sends more blood flow to the muscles and back to the lungs.
The better the aerobic fitness, the more efficiently the heart, lungs and blood vessels carry oxygen throughout the body. And it will likely be easier to do routine physical tasks.
Aerobic activity includes any physical activity that uses large muscle groups and raises the heart rate, such as:
Walking
Jogging
Biking
Swimming
Dancing
Water aerobics
Leaf raking
Snow shoveling
Vacuuming
Strength training is another key part of a fitness training plan. Muscular fitness can help you increase bone strength and muscle fitness. And it can help you stay at a healthy weight or lose weight. It also can improve your skills in doing everyday activities. Aim to do strength training of all the major muscle groups at least twice a week.
Most gyms offer many resistance machines, free weights and other strength training tools. But you don't need to be a gym member or buy costly equipment to get strength training benefits.
Hand-held weights or homemade weights, such as plastic soft drink bottles filled with water or sand, may work just as well. Or use low-cost resistance bands. Your own body weight counts too. Try pushups, pullups, sit-ups and leg squats.
The muscles in the stomach area, also called abdomen, lower back and pelvis are known as the core muscles. Core muscles help protect the back and connect upper and lower body movements. Core strength is a key part of a well-rounded fitness training program.
Core exercises help train the muscles to support the spine in the back. And they help to use the upper and lower body muscles more effectively. So what counts as a core exercise? A core exercise is any exercise that uses the trunk of the body without support. Some core exercises are bridges, planks, situps and fitness ball exercises.
Balance exercises can help you keep your balance at any age. Older adults especially may think about regularly doing exercises to keep or improve balance. This is important because balance tends to worsen with age. Poor balance can lead to falls and broken bones, called fractures. Balance exercises can help older adults prevent falls and keep doing things on their own.
But anyone can be helped by balance training. It can help steady, called stabilize, the core muscles. Try standing on one leg for longer periods of time to improve your stability. Activities such as tai chi can boost balance too.
Flexibility is an important piece of physical fitness. Aim to have stretching and flexibility activities in a fitness plan. Stretching exercises can help increase flexibility. Being more flexible can make it easier for you to do many everyday activities.
Stretching can also improve the range of motion of the joints. And stretching may help with better posture. Regular stretching can even help lessen stress and tension.
Think about stretching after you exercise when muscles are warm and open to stretching. Try to hold your stretches for at least 30 seconds. If you want to stretch before a workout, warm up first. Walk or exercise for 5 to 10 minutes before stretching.
Try to stretch each time you exercise. If you don't exercise often, you might want to stretch at least 2 to 3 times a week after warming up to keep flexible. Activities such as yoga help you stay flexible too.