Pathway to a Creating a Customized Exercise Program
Designed to meet your unique fitness level, medical needs, lifestyle and interests.
"The reason I exercise is for the quality of life I enjoy."
-Kenneth H. Cooper
- Fitness Assessment
- Program Design
What Role Does Exercise Play?
Exercise plays a critical role not only in body size and regulation, but also your appetite, basal metabolism and body composition.
Types of Exercise
Each of these components of exercise should be included in your overall plan to create a well-balanced, comprehensive fitness program. Within each general category are many exercises that can be used to create a varied workout based on individual needs and goals. There are also many ways to set up an exercise program and a fitness professional should be consulted to establish a baseline program and then make revisions as needed.
Cardio Fitness (Aerobic)
Elevates your metabolism while you’re exercising and can also keep it elevated afterwards. Critical in maintaining a healthy heart.
Strength Training (Muscle Strength and Endurance)
Increase your muscle mass and you’ll increase your body’s capacity to burn calories both during activity and at rest. Also, helps maintain lean muscle mass while you lose fat. Lean muscle mass is the part of the body composition that represents everything but fat – blood, bones, connective tissue, organs and muscles. Weight bearing exercise also keeps bones strong and slows the rate of bone loss.
Flexibility in Muscles and Joints (Stretching)
Flexibility is the range of motion of a joint. Flexibility training has little physiological impact on the issues related to weight management, but stretching exercises can dramatically reduce muscle tension and stress. It is a critical component for injury prevention and optimal exercise performance. It’s also good for the mind!
Balance
Balance refers to a person’s ability to contend with gravity and navigate unstable surfaces. Our ability to balance declines with age- balance training will offset this decline and enhance all daily and athletic activities. Balance training strengthens the core and the small muscles that provide stabilization. Balance training can be as simple as standing on one leg or as complicated as performing weight- bearing exercises while balanced on a physioball. You should incorporate 10 minutes of balance exercises into your fitness routine at least 3x per week.
Core Training and Agility
Our “core” includes the abdomen, lower back, hips and buttocks. This center is the powerhouse from which all other movements originate. A strong core will help improve posture and assists in all other activities. Agility training and plyometrics include fast lateral movements, starts and stops, and explosive movements that train the body for many athletic pursuits. This training is more specific and many require instruction before getting started.
Lifestyle Activity
Keep Moving!!!!! Whenever you have the opportunity to do something the “long way” or the “hard way” do it. Lifestyle activity includes mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, walking to the store or park, sweeping the walkway, walking down the hall at the office instead of e-mail, skipping the drive-up, etc.
Contact us today to begin your customized exercise program!
