WITNESS THE FITNESS 4

 

MAKING IT A REALITY

 

Now you’ve got your exercise head on, you’re zoned in, it’s time to get going and make it a reality. 

 

What’s on your plan?  Are you going to workout at home or at the gym?  Will it be early a.m. before work, after dropping the kids off or during the evening? 

 

Exercising at home is a great option if you have space for a home gym or want to create a workout space with a treadmill, bike or DVD player set-up.  Whether you choose to do training from home or at the gym both have advantages and disadvantages. 

 

Home exercise is a great option and though obviously many people simply don’t have the space, if you have a spare corner, converted garage or funky shed it is worth consideration because it could end up saving you a small fortune after initial outlay on equipment.  Provided it gets used and doesn’t just lie around gathering dust it’ll soon pay for itself when measured against endless months of gym payments disappearing in direct debits.  Another irrefutable bonus of working from home is that it’s always there and always available to suit your schedule.  If you get up early some days you can fit in an early session or shift it into the evening on other days.  While a structured class is only available say 8.00-9.00 p.m. every Wednesday that means you have to be available too or miss out. 

 

However, if you are in a position to be able to afford a gym membership, a trip to the gym will offer more variety in terms of equipment and services on offer and may even make you work harder if you feel motivated to be competitive, albeit indirectly, with those around you.

 

You may be lucky enough to have the opportunity to mix it up a bit though if your local gym or leisure centre has a flexible approach to what classes it offers without charging an extortionate membership fee on top.  It might be worth checking websites as this could be an option now, as all fitness centres are keen to attract maximum throughput without driving people away with inflexible membership charges.

 

When is the best time for you?  You’ve already doubtless considered this in your plan and it usually comes down to matching your personal schedule but if you’re lucky enough to be able to cherry pick your times then what can we learn from the experts?  Well, this is a little bit of a grey area as the experts differ in their approaches.  There are those who suggest that it's preferable to train in the a.m. when glycogen stores are depleted and fat burning takes place, but there are those who disagree and advocate your workout should be scheduled daytime or evening when energy levels are at their peak and so you'll achieve optimum calorie burn. 

 

So it really comes down to how, when and where you can comfortably accommodate a regular exercise regime that suits your lifestyle and availability. 

 

With all that sorted, now’s a good time to look again at your rotation to ensure you’re getting the best out of the valuable time you’re contributing to your fitness. 

 

Your plan should ensure that you have the basics covered:

CARDIOVASCULAR (or Aerobic)

STRENGTH (or Resistance)

FLEXIBILITY (or Stretching)

 

CARDIOVASCULAR

Or aerobic activity simply refers to the use of oxygen within the body.  Oxygenating the muscles and especially in helping increase the strength of heart and lungs.

 

STRENGTH

Or resistance/weight training is building muscle strength, size or endurance.  Which is such an important component to ensure good health and maintain muscle mass into the later stages of life.

 

FLEXIBILITY

Or stretching is to help maintain flexibility.  As you age the body has less dexterity; but stretching encourages flexibility and will continue to allow your joints to maintain full range of movement.

 

Nutrition is another element that needs to be considered as part of a holistic mind and body approach to a healthy lifestyle.  There are many articles within this blog explaining food science in immense detail and focussing on current research and exploding myths around diet and nutrition.  Please take time to look at these to help better understand how what we put in helps to power us throughout our lives. 

 

 

Get Fit

Get the Facts

Facts that Fit 

 FIT FACTS

CONSULT A DOCTOR BEFORE BEGINNING ANY EXERCISE PROGRAMME.  THE INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVICE IN THIS ARTICLE ARE IN NO WAY INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUE FOR PROFESSIONAL OR MEDICAL ADVICE. 

 

NOT ALL EXERCISES ARE SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE AND ANY EXERCISE PROGRAMME COULD OR MAY RESULT IN INJURY.  ANY USER PARTICIPATING IN EXERCISE AS A RESULT OF THIS ARTICLE ASSUMES THE RISK OF INJURY RESULTING FROM PERFORMING SUCH EXERCISE(S).  FIT FACTS DISCLAIM ANY LIABILITY OR LOSS IN CONNECTION WITH ADVICE OR EXERCISE(S) ARISING.