5-day Full-body Workout Routine

Work out your whole body to get the most of physical activity. Exercising regularly lowers your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer and depression. The benefits of exercise include better stress management, a healthy body weight, improved self-esteem and a better experience of aging. While some people are content to do a little bit of walking or weight training each week, you benefit from doing a variety of exercises that work the whole body. Exercising every part of the body reduces your risk of injury, improves your overall endurance and strength and contributes to an attractive appearance.

Stretching

Complete stretching before and after exercise to prevent injury and encourage full body fitness. Warm up before stretching by doing a lower intensity version of your planned aerobic exercise. Begin stretching once your muscles are warm and you break out into a light sweat. Do not stretch deeply before exercising --- use light, static stretches instead. Static stretching means holding still while stretching for 15 to 30 seconds. Stretch more deeply after your cool-down session and continue to use static stretching principles.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Complete 150 minutes of cardiovascular activity each week to prevent illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Aerobic activity, which improves cardiovascular functioning, includes brisk walking, jogging, bicycling, rowing, dancing and swimming. Do at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity each of the five days for the best results. Use a variety of activities to work the whole body. Try cycling three days and rowing two days to work the lower and upper body, for example. Swim laps every day, if you prefer, because swimming works both your upper and lower body. Warm up for five to 10 minutes and cool down for an equal amount of time before and after cardiovascular exercise to prevent injury.

Weight Training

Do weight training twice a week for a workout program that builds strength as well as cardiovascular endurance. Use two exercises for every major muscle group including your legs and hips, core muscles, chest, shoulders and arms. For example, do chest, shoulders and core exercises every Tuesday and lunges, squats and lower leg exercises on Thursdays. Allow at least 72 hours of rest between strength training activities using the same muscle groups. Improve muscular strength by doing four to eight repetitions of weight exercises and one or more sets of each exercise.

Combined Activities

Yoga, Pilates, group fitness classes and chores may combine aerobic exercise, weight training and stretching. Yoga includes stretching, but also weight-bearing exercises such as arm balances and lunge-type exercises. Some group fitness classes have both a cardio portion and a weight training portion. Incorporate these types of activities to gain multiple benefits in a short period of time. Additionally, group activities add social benefits and may improve adherence to exercise programs.