Seven Principles Of Exercise

Exercise provides an effective way of improving your level of physical fitness and health. In order for your exercise program to have noticeable and lasting benefits, it must be designed and executed in accordance with the seven principles of an effective exercise program. These seven principles are overload, progression, regularity, balance, specificity, variety and recovery.

Overload and Progression

The physiological principle that defines how an exercise program works is known as the General Adaptation Syndrome. According to the GAS, the body will respond to exercise with physiological and structural improvements only if the exercise load is severe enough, or far enough outside the body's comfort zone, to be stressful. When your exercise load reaches this level, it is considered to be overload. As your body improves over time in response to exercise, the exercise load must be progressively increased to generate additional improvement -- the principle of progression.

Regularity and Balance

Assuming your exercise program is strenuous enough to constitute overload, and you progressively increase your exercise load over time, you must exercise regularly. The principle of regularity requires that exercise be conducted at least three times a week to be effective. A well-designed exercise program should also be balanced. Balance requires that you do both aerobic and resistance exercises and that you develop all of the major muscle groups equally, and not focus on just one region.

Specificity

The principle of specificity states that only those systems stressed with exercise will show developmental improvements. Performing resistance exercises such as a barbell curl will specifically develop your arm muscles but yield no improvements in your legs or abdomen. Understanding the principle of specificity will allow you to develop an exercise program that serves the whole body.

Variety

Variety is not only the spice of life, it is an essential principle of effective exercise, Also known as periodization, the principle of variety calls for periodically changing the types of exercise activities you perform. As your body becomes accustomed to specific exercises, the exercises become less stressful. As explained by the principle of overload, exercise must be stressful if it is to lead to biological improvements in your body.

Recovery

Because exercise is stressful, it actually leads to short-term, low-level damage that, during the body's repair process, builds up your capacity to achieve fitness levels above the point at which you started. It can be said that exercise breaks you down and rest builds you up. The principle of recovery dictates that each exercise session be followed by a sufficient period of rest and recovery, typically one day off between exercise sessions for each body system.