What Does A Good Fitness Program Involve?
July 14, 2009 by Kat Wendersen
Filed under Fitness Basics
It is nearly impossible to suggest a specific fitness program. This is because we all start with varying levels of fitness. In addition to this, everybody has different goals. Individual goals usually fall into one of two broad categories.

The first category involves weight loss, and the second involves increasing core strength and toning/building muscle. Any good fitness program also involves a mixture of cardio and strength training exercises. Your goal will determine how much emphasis is placed on each of these. Make sure that you do set a realistic goal or goals. Reaching your targets will help keep you motivated.
Anyone wanting to improve his or her fitness needs to include a dietary plan as part of his or her fitness program. The diet you choose will depend on the goals you have set and the type of program you adopt. Many resources are available for people wanting to formulate an appropriate diet they can incorporate into their fitness program.
Aerobic exercise is favored by those whose primary goal is to lose weight. However these people should also include light strength training as part of their fitness program. This would probably involve using light dumbbells. Aerobic exercise increases the health and function of your heart and lungs.
It needs to be continuous, and involve the large muscle groups located in the lower area of your body. The type of aerobic exercise you choose to perform depends on your personal preferences but can include walking, step exercises, aerobic dance, and swimming.
Strength training involves exercising with progressively heavier resistance (usually weight) in order to build or retain muscle. Muscle is a high activity tissue, and is responsible for a large part of our calorie use. Strength training leads to increased calories being burned by your body even while at rest. When doing strength exercise it is best to start with the larger muscle groups and work towards the smaller muscle groups and isolation movements.
This will reduce fatigue. Speed is important in strength training but jerky movements should be avoided because they can lead to injuries. The key to any strength training based fitness program is resistance. As your body adapts to a given exercise you should gradually increase the amount of resistance (weight) you use or the number of repetitions. Beginners should start with 8 repetitions and increase the weight they use by 5% once they reach 12 repetitions.
An important point to remember when beginning a fitness program is not to overdo it. Overzealous exercise and strength training can easily result in injury. This is a good reason to set realistic goals. If you are looking for a great fitness program, click here.




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