The human body is a large organism composed of bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and skin. Keeping it working and functioning properly is not always an easy task. Exercise to work the body can be performed individually, on a one-on-one basis with a trainer or in a group atmosphere. Regardless of how you exercise, it can be rewarding and fun if you do it properly.
Perform Cardio
Being overweight has an adverse effect on the body. According to the National Institutes of Health, if you are overweight, you are more likely to develop certain health problems like cancer, gallbladder disease, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes.
If you are currently overweight or not, perform cardiovascular exercise. This type of exercise burns calories and helps reduce your weight if you are overweight; if you're not, it will keep your weight at a normal level. All forms of cardio are effective. Fast paced walking, running, elliptical training, aerobic dance, step aerobics and kickboxing are all examples.
Lift Weights
When you have a lot of weight to lose, it is tempting to do long cardio sessions every day of the week and do no strength training. In actuality, strength training adds to your caloric expenditure because muscle is metabolically active. The benefits of strength training don't stop there. According to the University of Michigan, strength training increases or improves muscle mass and strength, stamina, energy and endurance, mental alertness, balance and coordination. Perform exercises that target all of your major muscle groups like bench presses, shoulder presses, bent-over rows, triceps extensions, biceps curls and lunges.
Stretch Your Body
If you go into an exercise session without stretching your muscles, you run the risk of pulling or straining a muscle. You can prevent this by doing five minutes of dynamic stretches before you work out. Dynamic stretches are performed in motion and they get your body ready for the movement patterns they are about to experience. Leg swings, arms swings, shoulder circles, high knee raises, walking lunges and alternating toe touches are examples of dynamic stretches.
Once you are finished working out, perform static stretches to prevent your muscles from tightening up later in the day or evening. Unlike dynamic stretches, static stretches are performed by holding a stretched muscle for an extended amount of time. A shoulder stretch, for example, is performed by pulling one arm across the front of your body with your opposite arm and holding it in a fixed position. Perform these stretches for all of your major muscle groups.
Workout Regularly
If you work out once in awhile, you will not reap the full benefits of exercise. Instead, make it a lifelong commitment and do it on a weekly basis. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends doing 30 minutes of moderately intense cardio five days a week for health benefits and eight to 10 strength-training exercises with eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week. If you want to lose weight, increase your cardio sessions to 60 to 90 minutes.
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