What Is A Good Workout Plan?

Improving your fitness is one of the best things you can do for your health, reports Mayoclinic.com. A good workout plan should include activities that improve your cardiovascular health, your muscle strength and endurance and your flexibility. There are different activities you can do each day to work on each of these aspects of your physical fitness.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise helps to improve your cardiovascular health and requires using large muscle groups in rhythmic, continuous activity, according to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Common aerobic exercises include brisk walking, swimming, cycling, jogging and other sports that require continuous running. The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise on most days of the week. Choose aerobic exercise activities that you enjoy to help you stay motivated to continue with your exercise plan.

Strength Training

Strength training exercises, such as lifting weights, can improve your muscular strength and endurance components of fitness. Strength training also helps to strengthen your bones and can help with weight control. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends working out your major muscle groups, including your chest, legs, shoulders, abdomen, back and hips, at least two times each week. If you are new to strength training, a trained exercise professional can design a strength training program that meets your needs. Other methods of strength training include using resistance bands, medicine balls or doing exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups or abdominal crunches.

Flexibility

Flexibility and stretching exercises are another important part of a good workout plan. Flexibility allows your joints and muscles to move through their full range of motion and may allow you to perform different activities more easily, especially as you age. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports recommends at least 10 minutes of stretching each day and stretches should be done slowly, without bouncing. Stretching exercises can be done as part of your warm-up or cool-down from aerobic exercise.

Considerations

A good workout plan should incorporate aerobic, strength training and flexibility exercises each week. Your time available, fitness goals, and experience level may help to determine when you do these different fitness activities. An important part to each of your workouts should be a warm-up and a cool-down. A five to 10 minute warm-up helps your muscles and heart prepare for more strenuous activity. A cool-down allows your heart to gradually return to its normal rhythm.

Safety

If you are a beginner to exercise, or have not been active for a long time, you should check with your doctor to see which types of exercise are safe for you. Most types of exercise to improve all aspects of fitness are safe for most people, even for people with heart disease and some types of cancer, but it is wise to first consult with your doctor. Improving your fitness through a good workout plan will help keep you healthy.