Get fit and gain muscle by leaving your sedentary life behind and becoming active. Aerobic exercise will strengthen your heart and lungs, as well as your major muscle groups, and help build endurance. Anaerobic exercise such as weightlifting will strengthen your muscles and allow you to gain muscle mass, and flexibility exercises will keep your muscles from becoming too tight. A healthy diet will support your fitness program by providing your body with a proper balance of calories and nutrients.
Step 1
Learn what fitness is all about. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports compares fitness for a human to tuning up an engine. Fitness includes a healthy heart and lungs, strong muscles, and mental and emotional health. Fitness is an individual quality that is determined partly by your age, sex and heredity. You can improve your physical, mental and emotional fitness through good eating habits and regular exercise. Make a commitment to your health by exercising consistently. Use a calendar or journal to help plan your workouts, and stick to the plan.
Step 2
Focus on improving your cardiovascular health first. The cardiovascular system includes your heart and blood vessels. Exercise that strengthens the heart is called cardio, or aerobic exercise. Examples of cardio exercise include running, walking, bicycling or any type of activity that raises the heart rate. Cardio exercise burns calories, which helps to maintain a healthy weight, and may help reduce high blood pressure. Plan at least 2.5 hours of aerobic exercise during the week, and exercise for at least 10 minutes at a time to gain aerobic benefits. Start easy and gradually build up intensity.
Step 3
Add strength training to the mix. Muscular strength and endurance are the ability of a muscle to perform work or exert force and how long the muscle can maintain its exertion. Strengthen your muscles by lifting weights or through isometric exercises. A 2010 study conducted at the University of West Virginia School of Medicine showed that isometric exercise can help to lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Do your strength training workouts at least twice a week for 20 minutes and endurance sessions at least three times a week for 30 minutes. Use free weights, machines or calisthenic exercises such as push-ups to build your muscle strength.
Step 4
Always stretch after a workout. Flexibility is another measure of fitness and is often overlooked in many workout programs. Flexibility is the ability to move a joint through its entire range of motion. Add stretching exercises, such as the quadriceps stretch, to the end of your cardio workouts to help keep tired muscles from knotting up. Consider trying yoga, which helps improve your flexibility through a series of poses, or asanas. Many of the poses also improve your balance and strength. Maintaining your body's flexibility will help you feel better and can help prevent injuries.
Step 5
Eat a balanced diet that includes ample lean protein, some healthy fats and oils, carbohydrates, fiber and plenty of water. Body composition, the ratio of lean muscle mass to body fat, is another component of fitness. Do both aerobic and anaerobic exercise to burn excess calories and increase your metabolism. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption and smoking. Use a calorie counter or diet journal to keep track of what you're eating and see where your diet needs to be adjusted.
Tips and Warnings
- Eat enough protein to support muscle development. Be consistent with your exercise.
- Don't overdo your workouts. Avoid crash diets or fads.
Things You'll Need
- Journal
- Weights
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