A comprehensive fitness and diet plan should include cardiovascular exercise to maintain heart and lung fitness and resistance training to maintain and improve your lean musculature and skeletal integrity. This should be supported by a diet of nutritious food with the right amounts of macro and micro-nutrients that will help your body function optimally and maintain a healthy weight.
Cardiovascular Fitness
The American Heart Association recommends that healthy adults under the age of 65 do cardiovascular exercise two or three times a week. Do a workout of moderate or low intensity cardio exercise twice a week. This could be outdoor activities such as running, swimming, cycling or brisk walking,or using any variety of cardiovascular equipment in a gym. Set a pace that you can maintain for 30 minutes or more.
Beginners Cardio
If you are very overweight and new to exercise or just recovering from illness, swimming is an ideal activity. All the major muscles are brought into play, your body weight is supported and there is minimal stress on your joints. Swim a length of your local pool at a gentle pace, have a brief rest until your heart rate returns to near normal, then repeat. Do this two or three times a week, 10 to 20 minutes each time. Increase your swimming pace as your fitness levels improve.
Resistance Training
Start by warming up with 10 minutes of cardio on the treadmill, stair-climber, stationary bike or elliptical machine. Follow this with some dynamic stretching exercises. Do resistance training exercises that involve the major muscles of the body. The chest, back, shoulders, hips, glutes and quadriceps. Exercises should include the chest press, shoulder press, lat pulldown, leg press, leg curls, leg adductor and leg abductor. Do two 30 minute workouts a week..
Core Exercises
Core exercises strengthen your lower back, pelvis and abdominals, providing support for your spine and ensuring overall stability and postural balance, advises the Mayo Clinic. Do abdominal exercises such as crunches to strengthen your abs and provide core support. You can also do a variety of exercises with the swiss ball to strengthen your core.
Diet and Nutrition
Eat a diet that is predominantly unprocessed foods in their natural form. Avoid excessive sugar and refined, processed carbohydrates in favor of unrefined complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal and whole grain foods. Avoid all sodas and fast foods. Eat plenty of lean protein, a variety of fruits and vegetables and ensure you have a good source of essential fatty acids in your diet. These are cold pressed oils derived from sunflower, hemp, and pumpkin seeds
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