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Get ready for not only a new body but a new life! Whether it's losing weight, firming up flabby arms, building muscles, increasing your endurance, or for overall health benifits, you CAN reach your fitness goals.
The decision to carry out a physical fitness program should not be taken lightly. It requires commitment, time and effort. Exercise must become a habit, like taking a bath and brushing your teeth. Unless you are convinced of the benefits of fitness and the risks of unfitness, you will not succeed.
Patience and consistancy is essential. Keep yourself movitated, don't try to do too much too soon, and don't quit before you have a chance to experience the rewards of improved fitness. Failure happens when we quit, and you can't regain in a few days or weeks what you have lost in years of inactivity, but if you press on toward the goal, you will win the prize.
Fitness programs: 10 tips for staying motivated.
Fitness programs are a wonderful way to defy the aging process. Combining upbeat music and friends with your fitness program often makes for a memorable and meaningful workout. But how do you know which fitness program is right for you?
One size doesn't fit all
No one program is perfect for everyone.
"Just look at the variety of numbers of programs that are available at fitness facilities. Anytime you have that, you're probably not going to fill each individual's specific needs with one program," says Edward Laskowski, M.D., a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and co-director of Mayo Clinic's Sports Medicine Center.
But because there's such a huge variety of exercises available — everything from dance aerobics to weight training and bicycling — you're sure to find one that fits you just right.
Definition Of Fitness
Physical fitness is to the human body what fine tuning is to an engine. It enables us to perform to our greatest potential. Fitness is a state of health and well-being - a condition that helps us look, feel and do our best. More specifically, "Physical fitness is defined as the body’s ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist hypokinetic diseases, and to meet emergency demands. It is the ability to endure, to bear up, to withstand stress, to carry on in circumstances where an unfit person could not continue."
Fitness can be divided into five categories: aerobic fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.
Physical fitness involves the performance of the heart and lungs, and the muscles of the body. And, since what we do with our bodies also affects what we can do with our minds, fitness influences our mental alertness and emotional stability.
As you pursue your fitness program, it's important to remember that fitness is an individual quality that varies from person to person. It is influenced by age, sex, heredity, personal habits, exercise and eating practices. You can't do anything about the first three factors. However, it is within your power to change and improve the others where needed.
How to select a fitness program
Joining a fitness center can be the first step in getting in shape.
Here's 6 Steps to Guide Your Selection
Are you living with a disability?
If you're living with a disability, you can also benefit from regular exercise. If you're a paraplegic, for instance, you may be able to take part in chair aerobics, which can be done in a group setting or by viewing a videotape or DVD.
"Just about any kind of disability can be accommodated with adaptive exercise equipment or certain technique adjustments," says Dr. Laskowski.
To find out more about available programs, contact your fitness facility, your doctor or an association affiliated with your condition.
Exercising with a disability: Physical activity is within your reach
Select your program. You've thought through your likes and dislikes, the pros and cons, and you've determined what's best for your body. Now that you're ready to make an informed decision, go for it and reap the rewards.
Whatever your fitness needs are, one of these exercise programs can help you
Free In Home Exercise Videos - Free online video exercises to help you defy the aging process.
Walking For Fitness - How to trim your waistline and improve your health. by Mayo Clinic Staff
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