Fitness

Fitness and health are not the same but share some common behaviors. These include regular exercise, adequate sleep, a nutritious diet, abstaining from substance abuse, an ability to cope with stress, an ability to relax, and practicing both safety habits and preventative care habits.

The distinction to be made is that health also includes a mental and emotional well-being, not merely the absence of disease or the delay of death. While physical fitness itself will not guarantee a healthy life, it is a vital part of the total healthy person.

Health related physical fitness typically includes cardiovascular endurance, body composition, flexibility, muscular strength, and muscular endurance. The better the performance in these five components of fitness the lower the risk of disease and the greater the quality of life.

Depending on your personal goals, and your present fitness and health status, here are some basic healthy activities for

Adequate levels of strength/endurance       Resistance exercise - 2 to 3 times/week

Flexibility                                                          Static stretching - daily

Aerobic exercise                                               Regular, vigorous large muscle

                                                                            movement, 3 to 6 times a week

Healthy levels of body fat                               Balanced caloric intake and                                                                             expenditure

Trunk flexibility and integrity                       Abdominal, and lower back exercises

                                                                            coupled with stretches

If you are a beginner to regular exercise see your physician before starting out.

Then consider taking small measurable steps in each of the above components.

Your goal is to make exercise a part of your life without making it displeasing.

Start your resistance training, (anaerobic), or strength training, with two 20 minute sessions, 2 to 3 times a week. Consider getting the advice of a qualified trainer. Search the Internet for information on home based exercises, and guidance on proper form, intensity, volume, and duration.

Your aerobic exercise, the exercise for a strong heart and healthy blood vessels can be 15 to 30 minutes per session, depending on your present ability. Shoot for everyday and you’ll find that if you miss a few days, you are still doing yourself good. Use the “talk test” to determine the intensity of your walk, jog, cycling, hiking, rowing, or skating program. If you can talk without taking a breathing break between each word you can go for more.

Define Yourself Coaching knows the components of health, body, mind, and spirit. Discover these components for yourself, make them attainable and sustainable, and lead the quality of life you deserve.