Many physicians and fitness pros will tell you it's important to be healthy first and physically fit second. Your genetics are responsible to some extent for your health, good or bad. But your lifestyle choices are as important in determining your health and wellness. Men who exercise regularly for 30 to 60 minutes most days and eat a balanced diet are likely to attain a level of health and fitness that can help prevent illness and disease often associated with aging.
Diet
Proper diet and nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. Carbohydrates and fat stores fuel your activities, while proteins allow your body to rest and recovery properly, repairing muscle damage from your workout. When training with weights, you are essentially tearing muscle. Although your recommended calorie intake depends on several factors, such as height, weight and sex, additional calories may be required to support heavy or intense periods of training and recovery.
Strength Training
Depending on your strength-training goals, you will either lift heavy with low repetitions for muscular strength or lift lighter with higher repetitions for muscular endurance. Compound exercises, such as the squat or bench press, engage multiple joints and targeting multiple muscles. Isolation exercises, such as the biceps curl, engage a single joint and target a single muscle. Compound, more than isolation movements, are preferred, as they work more muscles in less time. Do two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions per exercise.
Cardiovascular Training
You can get your your cardiovascular fitness fix a number of ways. Running, swimming, cycling and jumping rope are among them. Cardiovascular training exercises increase the workload of your heart and lungs by elevating your heart rate. Cardiovascular training reduces your risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, high-blood pressure, osteoporosis, some cancers and other health issues associated with aging. Start with 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, and work your way up from there, slowly, until you can sustain 30 to 45 minutes.
Stretch Routine
You will benefit greatly from making a stretching routine part of your daily exercise -- an increase in your athletic performance, flexibility, calorie burn and better injury prevention, to name a few. An active routine instead of static stretches lasting 10 to 20 minutes is best for warming up. That simulates the muscles range of motion found in the actual activity. Static stretching after exercise is a good way to cool down when your muscles are most flexible. Walking is also effective as a cool-down routine, especially after running or cycling.
References
- Fox News; Health; Men's Health; How To Get Ripped; 1.Diet; Jeff Bayer, September 2009
- Fox News; Health; Men's Health; How To Get Ripped; 2. Weight Lifting Workout; Jeff Bayer, September 2009
- American Heart: Physical Activity
- "Stack Magazine"; Stretching Routine With Ohio State Wrestling; Active Dynamic Warm Up; Josh Staph, April 2005
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