The cornerstones of fitness training

It’s always a great time to start a fitness routine, but especially for those of you in colder climates – as the weather gets nicer, you have more options and less excuses. If you’re really out of shape, you may need to kick-start your exercise plan by going to a fitness camp. If it’s a good weight loss camp, you will be taught everything that you need to know to continue on your own. A good program will also encompass the four cornerstones of effective fitness training: aerobic exercise, muscle building, stretching, and core strengthening. Whether you do this on your own or head off to a fat farm, here are the bases that you need to cover for complete fitness.

1. Aerobic Exercise
Your body needs oxygen to thrive. Aerobic exercise causes you to breathe faster and more deeply, which maximizes the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream. The better your aerobic fitness, the more efficiently your heart, lungs, and blood vessels transport oxygen throughout your body which results in improved energy and overall health.
Aerobic exercise is easy to fit into your daily routine. Everyday activities such as walking, gardening, and housework can all be forms of aerobic exercise. The important thing is that you must be using large muscle groups and your heart rate must increase. Other examples of aerobic exercise include jogging, biking, swimming, and dancing. Aim to do some form of aerobic activity every day for about 30 to 60 minutes – this can be done all at once or broken up into two or three mini sessions. Your body will love it.

2. Muscle building
Regular strength training is another cornerstone of a good fitness program. When you increase your lean muscle mass, you burn more calories and stored fat. Strong muscles also help protect your joints from injury and increase your fitness stamina. Although fitness retreats and gyms provide a lot of equipment and expertise, you can also set up a good muscle-building program at home. A small set of 3, 5, and 8 pound weights should work for most people, and in general they are not expensive. Otherwise, you can create your own weights using plastic soft drink bottles filled with water or sand. Resistance bands are another inexpensive option to use at home. Add push-ups, sit-ups, and leg squats to your routine and you can build and tone a lot of muscles.

3. Stretching
Warm up those muscles then stretch them for tremendous benefit. Stretching increases your flexibility, improves the range of motion of your joints, promotes better posture and circulation, and can even relieve stress and help prevent injury. Warm up for about 10 minutes before going through a series of stretching exercises, then stretch again immediately after your workout. If you don’t regularly exercise you can still maintain flexibility by doing a series of stretches at least three times a week. You could also practice yoga or tai chi to maintain flexibility.

4. Core Strengthening
Core is as it sounds – these muscles are centrally located in your torso and support balance and stability. They also allow for the powerful movement of arms and legs that are essential in athletic performance. The goal of core strengthening is to maintain a solid foundation that allows energy to transfer from the center of the body out to the limbs.
There are many exercises that will strengthen the core, as well as exercise equipment that will aid in this training. Sitting on a stability ball with correct posture is a good start. From there, you can try other core exercise such as abdominal crunches, lunges, and plank exercises.
One final note: Fitness not only means being in great shape, it encompasses your overall health, and also includes eating a proper diet and maintaining peace of mind. Attend to all three components to attain true fitness.