Getting physically fit is more than just buying a gym membership and hitting the weight machines. There are a few main components that are essential to achieving total body fitness. Sure, you can be lean or muscular without including all of these, however, you’ll be missing out on important pieces of the fitness puzzle, and in the long run, you’ll be sorry. Here are those 5 components.
#1. eat a healthy diet
The old saying “you are what you eat” has never been more true than in today’s society. The commercially driven fast food industry, combined with convenience and a busy lifestyle, has made many Americans morbidly overweight. This is an epidemic in our children that must be changed soon or we may be the first generation in history to outlive our children.
A good balance of lean meats, fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables are an essential part of your daily diet. Also, manage your portions.
#2. Apart from diet, proper physical training is also essential to build and strengthen muscles. Using heavy weights during your workout will help you build strength, stamina, and muscle mass. Weight training, along with increasing your calorie and protein intake, will encourage your body to build muscle tissue. As your muscle tissue grows, you will also gain strength. The combination of weight training and proper diet is a key ingredient to a muscle conditioning plan. If the right combination is not observed, you will not only burn fat but also muscle instead of building it.
#3. Add cardiovascular exercises to your training program. This is very important as cardiovascular exercise will increase your stamina and strengthen your heart. You can do this by running, bicycling, rowing, etc. over long distances or through other short-term, high-energy workouts such as hill sprints, swimming, etc.
#4. Take multivitamins and other nutrients. The fresh vegetables we get in the market today are not as good for us as they were in the 1950s, let alone at the turn of the 20th century. This is caused by the severe erosion of our topsoil and the early harvest required to get our fruits and vegetables to market before they spoil. Basically, we are buying products that are not fully ripe, therefore they have not reached their full nutritional value. The American Medical Association now recommends that all Americans take a daily multivitamin.
#5. Drink a lot of water. I’m not talking about calorie packed energy drinks, sodas or diet sodas etc, I’m talking about good old H20. Our bodies need plenty of water to keep us adequately hydrated and to help flush harmful toxins out of our systems. Drink 6-8 8 oz. glasses a day for your good health.
While many of your local fitness clubs offer the very best in strength-training geared fitness equipment, joining a gym just to work out is not an absolute necessity. You can also exercise at home. There are many different manufacturers of exercise equipment that offer effective weight training machines at very affordable prices. As long as you put your mind to it, have the most basic equipment, and constantly stay on top of your health and fitness, your fitness program should work just fine as long as you stick with it.