Fitness Strategies and Benefits

Fitness Strategies and Benefits

By: Renee Kennedy

Stretching:

Concentrates on improving flexibility. Stretching requires no fitness equipment.
Types of stretching include Yoga and Pilates. Whether you decide to stretch before,
after or during your exercise routine, there is no doubt that stretching should be
included every time you exercise. It keeps your body agile while engaging in any
type of resistance or cardio training routine.

Benefits of stretching:

1. improves flexibility
2. increases range of motion
3. promotes relaxation
4. improves performance and posture
5. reduces stress on your body and reduces risk of injury for any resistance
   training routines or athletic performance

Strength Training, Weight Training or Resistance Training:

Concentrates on improving muscles. Strength training or weight training may require
you to lift free weights or use equipment that makes you lift weight. It may
also be called resistance training because you are putting resistance on your
muscles to improve them. In resistance training you may use tools like rings
and tubes rather than weights. Some exercises also allow you to use your own
body as resistance. For instance, abdominal crunches can be part of a strength
or resistance training routine. Strength training should be included in an
exercise routine.

The benefits of resistance and strength training:

1. helps you lose weight in two ways: improves your muscle mass and increases your energy expenditure, both make you to burn more calories.
2. helps you tone and look better even if you are not overweight.
3. gives you more strength and endurance
4. increases bone density
5. has cardiovascular benefits
6. may help reduce risks of injury in athletes

Cardiovascular or Aerobic Training:

Aimed at improving your heart muscle and cardiovascular system.
Cardiovascular training or aerobic training may be accomplished in
several ways and you don’t need to spend any money. Walking, jogging,
skipping rope, boxing, dancing, riding

a bike – any of these qualify as
aerobic exercise. Cardiovascular training should be an essential element
of your fitness routine.

Benefits of cardiovascular training:

1. strengthens your heart
2. helps you lose weight and reduce fat
3. increases your endurance

Interval Training or Anaerobic Training:

Aimed at improving aerobic endurance for athletes. Interval training
is characterized by repetitions of heavy exercise with a recovery
period following each repetition. For

instance, you might sprint for
10 seconds and then follow that sprint with a two minute recovery jog.
Then you repeat the sprint/jog routine for about 20 minutes.
During the sprinting you are producing a state of oxygen debt.
This can also be called anaerobic training because you are out of oxygen.
Circuit training is also a form of interval training.

Benefits of Interval Training:

1. improves athletic endurance
2. strengthens the heart muscle
3. improves the lungs or the ability to take in oxygen

Cross Training:

Aimed at improving aerobic endurance, strength and flexibility in
athletes. Can also help fight boredom for anyone who exercises.
Type of training that requires you to do two or more types of
exercise either within the same routine or in successive routines.
For example, you may stretch every day for flexibility, lift weights
two days a week for strength training, and ride a bike once a week
for aerobic endurance.

Circuit Training:

Type of interval training aimed at losing weight and inches.
Circuit training has been made popular by places like Curves
and Ladies Workout Express. In circuit training you have
several pieces of strength training equipment interspersed
with aerobic equipment like steps or jogging pads. It has
all the benefits of both cardiovascular and strength training
workouts.

Visit Fitness Equipment for reviews of different types of exercise equipment and what is the best for your lifestyle.

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