Table of Contents
The term ‘FITNESS’ means different to different people. Fitness is not just about a perfect physique but also involves maintaining Mental and Emotional health.
Walking, Jogging, Swimming, Biking are excellent outdoor exercises for fitness. Heavy lifting, Weight Training exert a lot of Strength and build Endurance.
A shocking Stat I read a few days back in a premier newspaper which said ‘Nearly 64 percent Indians don’t exercise: Study’.
It’s a big number, isn’t it…
Reason
People say they understand the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle but lack the motivation and time to do anything about it.
Initiate healthy living by waking up early, exercising, eat the right food but as soon as they reach a goal, they lose motivation to keep going any further.
This is because the majority choose fitness/physical activity as a Focus/Direction and not as a Daily Habit which can also be interesting and enjoyable.
Daily Exercise & Proper Nutrition are the key ingredients to maintaining peak Fitness and optimal Health.
What is Fitness
Fitness is about sustaining a good physical shape & well-being suitable to perform specific activities or tasks. It involves maintaining a proper diet, daily exercise, and sufficient rest.
We live in times of the Pandemic where maintaining fitness is not just a Choice but an Absolute Necessity.
Being Fit & Active will give the body the necessary strength and energy, to fight the ailments we have around us.
Why Fitness is important
Fitness helps prevent various common health problems, minimizes the risk of several diseases affecting people like Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Cancer, and improves Bone and Muscle Quality.
Physical fitness/Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients which helps the body work efficiently.
In short, Boosts Health, Well-Being, and a Better Quality of Life.
How to improve Fitness
Maintaining a peak Fitness performance can at times become monotonous. Maintaining a proper physical routine and a regular scaling of exercises will help in keeping your workouts interesting.
Physical fitness is an riveting journey of hard work, dedication, and discipline which leads to a flourishing and prosperous life.
Finding a right balance between a healthy body, mind and spirit is the route to improving your well being.
Here are some ways which will help in your fitness journey
- Pick a reason to become more active.
- Choose the activity that gives you enjoyment
- Set yourself reasonable goals and record your progress.
- Don’t overdo efforts in the name of fitness
- Reward yourself for the targets achieved
- Keep yourself busy with activities throughout the week
- There is no shame to ask for support in your fitness journey
- Make fitness a habit.
Fitness/ Workout plans
We all make Fitness/Exercise Resolutions, but how many of us actually follow them diligently.
To achieve your desired goals you cannot depend on mere planning.
Success depends entirely on how efficiently you can implement those plans and make it a daily discipline .
Here I attempt to give you some ideas as to how you can build and implement your fitness plans:
- Understand your fitness goals/Aims.
- Formulate a Balanced Routine.
- Always start slow and then progress. Fitness is not a one day process but something to be pursued daily
- Build an activity into your daily routine.
- Further Include different activities in your routine to make it interesting .
- Escalate/Scale your workouts to a High Interval Intensity training. For Eg. Increase your weights to increase resistance
- Give yourself ample time for recovery. Recovery period is very important for the body growth. It’s the time when the muscles relax and tension is released.
- Record your progress visually or write it on a paper. This progress will motivate you to build/formulate further goals.
Types of fitness Exercises
Fitness is a focused training objective or physical challenge you set for yourself to target a specific goal or aim.
Sometimes you see failures in your efforts but it’s the persistence that will help you achieve your ultimate goal.
Starting small and then gradually increasing your objectives will give the results you want.
It is said that there are Four important criteria’s to determine peak fitness.
Endurance – It refers to your body’s capability to support an exercise/workout for longer periods without extended intervals. The capacity of your heart and lungs to nourish your body with oxygen is called ‘Cardiovascular endurance’ whereas the capacity of your muscles to work relentlessly without getting fatigued is called ‘Muscular endurance’.
Activities excellent for building Endurance
- Brisk walking or jogging.
- Biking
- Dancing
- Swimming.
- Playing sports
- Climbing stairs
Strength – It is the maximum effort/power you can apply against a resistance. You can increase your muscle strength by lifting weights or by working your core muscles which helps the increase in overall strength.
The more efforts you put, the more strength you will gain and eventually will make your body stronger to perform tough and strenuous activities.
Top 4 Strength Exercises
- Squats – They are excellent exercises to strengthening your bones, ligaments, tendons and leg muscles. Squats are also very useful to burn calories and lose weight.
- Deadlifts – It works to increase core strength and stability and also improves your posture. Stronger the muscles, the more strength it can exert.
- Bench press – Bench Press is an excellent exercise to increase the Upper Body Strength. All it requires is a bench and a desired weight dumbbell.
Pushing the weights parallel to your chest will give you Perfect results. Bench Press exercises can be focused on the Upper, Middle, and Lower Chest.
- Barbell rows – The barbell row exercise works to strengthen your Back, Shoulder and Elbow muscles. These muscles primarily are the heavy lifters of the body.
Balance – Balance in fitness terms means “Postural Stability”. The ability to maintain a proper posture while performing light or intense exercises will determine an individual’s Fitness Balance.
Top 5 Balance Exercises
- Balance on one foot.
- Single leg lift.
- Single leg side lift.
- Leg lift with dumbbells
- Balance on a stability ball
- Balance walk.
Flexibility – It is the capability of muscles or joints in your body to move unrestricted or pain-free to perform the desired activities. Flexibility is an important element of fitness and varies from person to person.
Top Flexibility Exercises
- Cross-Over
- Standing Quad Stretch
- Side Lunges
- Forward Lunges
- Seat Stretch
- Seat Straddle Lotus
- Seat Side Straddle
- Knees to Chest
Best Fitness Equipment’s in India
Fitness Equipments are a personal choice. Some prefer Light training while others choose Heavy Intense training. There are many equipment’s available in the market that can give you an effective workout in a Gym or at Home.
It allows you to perform aerobic and anaerobic exercises that play a crucial role in improving your overall fitness.
Choosing the right Equipment is very important in physical training as it can lead to short term or worse Long term injuries which can be permanent.
Best Gym Equipment’s
There are Gyms available for workouts in any city you live in. Gym training can be light or heavy intensive depending on your workout plan.
Easy accessibility to machines and equipment’s makes your workout interesting and enjoyable.
It is always advisable to take the support of a Trainer or a Guide while working out, especially if you have just started training.
Gym training can feel fulfilling when exercises are done in the right technique which will give the best results.
Here are some easily available Best Gym Equipment for Your Workout
- Horizontal seated leg press
- Cable biceps bar
- Triceps pushdown
- Leg raise
- Lats pulldown
- Chest/Bench press
Best Home Workouts
Home Workouts are also a great way to maintain fitness.
Not everyone likes to go to Gyms and lift heavyweights.
In Covid Times where we had a complete shutdown of the basics, people found a new way of doing Household chores to remain fit
Calisthenics which require no equipments have become a definite craze today.
Here are some exercises that can be done from Home/Outdoors with minimal equipment requirements.
- Indoor Cycle Bike/ Treadmill
- Jump Rope
- Resistance Bands.
- Dumbbells
- Kettlebells
Diet for a Healthy You
It is said that you can pump as many weights as you want, jog, run, play sports to your heart’s desire but if you don’t maintain a proper diet and nutrition, the effects are minimal. Fitness depends on your daily nutrition intake. Your Nutrition gives you the energy to perform various activities and without it, you can grow weak, fall sick, or the worst-case scenario, even die.
Nutrition is getting the food and nourishment that your body needs for growth and development.
Here is a common Diet chart you can follow for Daily Nutrition
- Fat-free and low-fat dairy products, such as low-fat yogurt, cheese, and skimmed milk.
- Protein foods, such as lean meat, fish, poultry without skin, beans, and peas.
- Whole-grain foods, such as whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, and brown rice. …
- Fresh fruits, canned, frozen, or dried.
Conclusion
Physical activity/Fitness helps improve your health and reduces the risk of developing diseases like Diabetes, Cardiovascular, Lung/Breathing issues, Cancer which have become common Mortality causes today.
Increased Exercise Capacity and Physical Fitness can build Immediate or Long Term Health Benefits in your body.
So give fitness the respect it deserves and work your way to a healthy and better life.