Exercise is a critical element of physical fitness. Exercising regularly is important to maintain good health, as well as to maintain a healthy weight or to lose weight. In the United States, it is estimated that about 35 percent of adults older than 18 regularly participate in leisure-time physical activity, while 33 percent of adults older than 18 do not participate in any leisure-time physical activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Before starting your physical fitness program, you should talk to your doctor.
How Much is Needed?
How much exercise you need depends on your goals. If you are just trying to maintain your already healthy weight, 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise, 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, or something similar is often beneficial, but exercise needs will vary among people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you are trying to lose weight and maintain weight loss, you will have to get a lot of exercise unless you are also reducing caloric intake. The key to weight loss is a combination of eating healthy and a regular physical fitness plan.
Components
Physical fitness is more than jogging a few days a week. There are several different components and all are necessary for overall physical fitness. You need to work on your cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular endurance, body composition, muscular strength and flexibility, according to The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Cardiorespiratory endurance is how well nutrients and oxygen are delivered to tissues and how well waste is removed over a prolonged period of time. Muscular endurance is how well muscles can sustain repeated contractions or how well they can continue to exert forced against a non-moving object. Muscular strength is how well a muscle can apply force for a short time. Flexibility is how well you can use your muscles and move your joints through the joints and muscle's full range of motion. Your body composition is the ratio between fat mass and lean mass.
Development
When developing a physical fitness plan it is important to develop a plan you will enjoy and one you can do within your limits. You should include all of the components on physical fitness in some way. You should begin by assessing your level of fitness and consulting your doctor. From there you should design your physical fitness program, get your equipment together, get started and monitor your progress, according to MayoClinic.com.
Benefits
Regular physical activity has a variety of benefits and helps to reduce your risk of many medical conditions. Regular aerobic exercise is beneficial in lowering your blood pressure. Regular physical activity help to reduce your risk of diabetes, lose weight if necessary, maintain a healthy weight, lower your triglyceride levels and increase your "good" cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association. Other benefits include helping you quit smoking if you smoke, and reducing your risk of stroke, anxiety and depression. It helps to build healthy muscles, joints and bones.
References
- The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports: Fitness Fundamentals: Guidelines for Personal Exercise Programs
- MedlinePlus: Exercise and Physical Fitness
- MayoClinic.com: Fitness Programs: 5 Steps to Getting Started
- American Heart Association: Physical Activity
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Exercise or Physical Activity
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