Workouts & Weight Training

Getting into shape or even expanding your workout repertoire can involve a number of lifestyle changes. It can be difficult to recognize which fitness elements to incorporate or avoid when trying to meet your health goals. However, taking the time to fully understand how the various aspects of physical fitness work together can help you to create and stick with a workout and weight training plan.

Health Benefits

Regular workouts and weight training provide a number of physical health benefits including a reduced risk for stroke, heart attack, heart disease and certain types of cancer. In addition, the cardiovascular elements of working out help to increase the blood flow to the skin, brain and other organs. Building muscle increases the chances that mobility will be maintained while aging. Exercise has also been found to relieve depression and anxiety and to bolster self-esteem.

Cardiovascular Workouts

Cardiovascular workouts include aerobic activities that increase the heart rate like running, swimming, bicycling, rowing or climbing stairs. Individuals should participate in moderate aerobic activity for at least 20 to 30 minutes a day, three to five times per week. Including cardiovascular activities into your workout helps your heart to beat more efficiently while also burning fat and calories. Maintaining a regular schedule of cardiovascular activities will help to increase metabolism, which enables the body to process food quickly and more effectively.

Weight Training Workouts

Weight training, in most cases, does not elevate the heart rate as much as aerobic activities, but it does help to build muscle. Routines that include free weight exercises, like bench presses and bicep curls, or using machine weights, like those found in professional gyms, help to develop muscle which, in turn, helps to increases metabolism. A higher amount of muscle increases the body's ability to burn off fat during inactive periods.

Effective weight training workouts target different body areas on different days. Working out in this manner allows the muscles to fully recuperate in between workouts and decreases the likelihood of injury.

Effect of Diet

Workouts and weight training are most effective when paired with a healthy diet. Ideally in a balanced diet, carbohydrates, and more specifically complex carbohydrates, should constitute 40 to 60 percent of your caloric intake. Items such as wheat bread, pasta, fruits and vegetables produce the energy that is needed during workouts. Lean proteins, including chicken, turkey and meat-free alternatives like tofu and mycoprotein, help to build muscle and should account for 10 to 30 percent of your daily calories. Fats should not make up more than 35 percent of your daily caloric intake. Most of the fat that you consume should come from monounsatured or polyunsatured fats, which includes items like olive oil, avocados and nuts.

Staying Motivated

One of the biggest challenges when beginning a workout and weight training program is staying motivated. Working out with a partner can help to keep workouts challenging. Keeping track of the progress you've made, whether you're interested in weight loss or muscle gain, will demonstrate that your efforts are paying off. Finally, experimenting with new exercises, gym machines or healthy recipes will keep the process interesting.