When thinking about fitness or exercise programs, many people assume there are only three components: cardio, strength and diet. The American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine suggests 30 minutes of moderately intense cardio exercise five days a week, along with strength training at least two days a week. However, a well-rounded fitness routine should include five major components, and your body will benefit if you incorporate each one into your weekly routine.
Aerobic Fitness
Aerobic, or cardio, exercise is exercise that raises your heart rate and keeps it elevated for a certain period of time. Examples of cardio exercise include walking, jogging, swimming and biking. Choose an activity that you enjoy to ensure that you do it often. Try to exercise aerobically for 30 minutes a day, most days of the week.
Muscular Fitness
Muscular strength is the maximum amount of weight that you can lift at one time. In the gym, this is often referred to as your "one rep max." You will develop more strength by increasing the amount of weight that you lift slowly over time. Muscular endurance is the ability to repeat a movement over and over again or to hold a position for a period of time. As your muscles become more fit, you will be able to do more repetitions of each exercise. Begin with three sets of eight to 12 reps per exercise, and be sure to work all the major muscle groups. Incorporate strength training into your routine two or three days each week.
Core Training
Your core muscles consist of your abdominals, hips and buttocks. Training your core can help your body stabilize during difficult movements, preventing injury. You should incorporate core training into your muscular fitness routine two or three days each week. An example of a core exercise is the plank. To do the plank, begin on a mat on all fours. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders. Then extend your legs out behind you and rest your weight on your toes. Your body should be in a bridge-like position. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds and repeat two more times.
Stretching
Flexibility refers to the extent to which your muscles can lengthen. Stretching helps improve muscular flexibility. Flexibility also helps prevent tight, sore muscles. It is important to stretch daily to keep your muscles flexible. Be sure to stretch your muscles for a few minutes following your workouts. You may also consider taking a Yoga or other stretching class once a week to improve flexibility.
Balance Training
Balance training is similar to core training in that it will help improve your daily movements by making your body more stable. This can help prevent falls, or injury from falls. With balance training, you are strengthening the ligaments, tendons and small muscles surrounding your joints. This should also be incorporated into your muscular fitness routine two or three days each week, or added to your stretching program. To add a balance component to your muscular fitness, simply perform exercises, such as bicep curls, while standing on one foot.
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