Fitness can be a real good fun if you include interesting and variety of exercises in your exercise plan. Believe me, there are thousand of activities to workout. So be good in your selection of few from those thousands, simply for the reason that you are more likely to stick with a workout that you really enjoy! However just for your convenience i am jotting down 7 point for exercises that do interest the majority of people and help them stay fit! Some are necessary, and for some you can find substitutes/alternatives. So here are 7 ways to stay fit:

1. Get a Fitness Instructor : Why? Well, if you have set some fitness objectives or if you need some help staying focussed on your goals then fitness instructor is the best choice. They are qualified instructors, they know their job, they know how to assess your current fitness level, and they know what exercises and programmes are suited best to your fitness needs. They can also motivate you to stay focussed and tailor a suitable programme for you. Alternatively, your wife/husband, friends who really have a good effect on you can take place of fitness instructor to some extent. But professional is the best.

2. Join A Gymnasium/Fitness Center: There is no other venue like a gym or a fitness centre if you would like to have lot of variety in your fitness plan. There are lot of machines, weights, exercises plus professional coaches/instructors to help you use those machines. Of course, things depends on size of the gym. You may get wide range of exercising activities such as aerobics, dance, body toning, power workouts, sauna, jacuzzi, steam room and massage. Getting relaxed and being revitalized is equally important.

3. Water Exercise : Water is such a good platform for all around fitness. If you have ever noticed, swimmers have such a streamlined body and they are great examples of how good it is to exercise in water. Water offers resistance. So exercising in water build strength and endurance while aiding stamina and suppleness. For much concerned people who have problems with their joints, well water’s buoyancy also reduces the impact on your joints. For this particular reason, water exercise are best suited for over-weight people and people with back n joint problems.  Swimming is the most common exercise and it’s the best. But there are two other exercises in water and believe me they are so much fun. It’s the conventional aerobic dance classes and water polo like sports. Fun while exercising, well nothing like that.

4. Get Some Exercise Video : Nothing much to explain here. It’s just that you get some exercise videos that are actually very easily available. There are many styles of exercise videos but get the one which you think is better than the rest. The only word of caution, do not get an old video. Only the up-to-date videos. Old videos of 90’s etc. have been proved dangerous and she not be done. So just select a video that you think complements your fitness objectives that you had set.

5. Walking Club: You must have heard about lot of laughing clubs. It’s time you started a walking club. Try involving your family, friends, neighbors in a walking club. Go for usual walks. Or everyday let one of the member o some research and take the rest of you to some museum or some historical place or adventurous place and let it be a guided tour kind of thing. Take different routes or you can even include hilly or rough terrains. All the time interacting with your walking club members, you will find that it’s a good social way to make friends, and get that fitness level rising and still having lot of fun.

6. Outdoor Sports: This is really too much fun which can be done occasionally.  Take an outdoor sport like skiing, sailing, rock climbing, windsurfing, horse riding, canoeing, rowing, boating and there so many endless sports one can go for. They are so much fun, so much refreshing and helps you keep your fitness to the best level. Depending on your skill level, get some outdoor sports every now and then.

7. Dancing all the way: Social parties, dancing parties, well here is your chance for all around fitness. Never hesitate to dance in such social settings. If you do not know how to dance, then join some classes. There are various forms of dances right from ballroom dancing to jazz and tap dancing. It’s real fun. Learn to dance with partner or no partner. There is dance for singles, couples and groups. So dance your way onto building fitness.

Don’t think exercise is such a boring thing. It’s fun. Just chose the exercise that really interests you and get a Healthy Body and a Healthy Mind. Take care and stay fit.

What is suppleness?

The ability to achieve a full range of movements “to turn, stretch, twist and bend” without any stiffness, aching or suffering a spine or joint injury is defined as suppleness. It is also known as flexibility.

What about it?

Suppleness or flexibility is an important part of your everyday life. Being supple means that you can reach up to take an item down from a bookshelf, for example, or bend down to tie your shoe laces, without feeling that your movements are restricted in any way. When you are young, you tend to take suppleness for granted. But as and when you start growing older, you need to spend a bit of time enhancing and maintaining your suppleness.

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By running just 5 miles (8 km) in the whole week, you can reduce the risk of yourself getting a heart disease (which is supposed to be the number one killer in the western world) by nearly 20 percent. You already know the advantages of running. It can also help you lose weight, strengthen your muscles and bones and even slow down the aging process which means you will look and feel young all the time. Besides all other advantages, running also benefits your skin and hair. Above all, it will make you feel great.

Always aim to alternate resistance exercises with aerobic or the stamina building exercises. This will give your muscle a chance to recover from the build of the lactic acid in your body, which is a common side effect of high intensity activities such as weight lifting or sprinting. In these anaerobic activities, oxygen cannot be delivered to the muscles in time to assist with the breakdown of glycogen (the form in which glucose is stored as energy in muscles). If there is no presence of oxygen, then these glycogens breakdown produces lactic acid. It is build of this lactic acid in the muscles that causes a burning sensation in your body after you do an intense activity.

The pain eventually builds up to the point where you must rest. As soon as you stop, muscles start to use oxygen to break down the lactic acid. The more lactic acid that is built up, the more the oxygen required to break it down. This is called the oxygen debt’ and this why you pant for breath after sprinting. By alternating aerobic exercises with resistance activities you enable the muscles to disperse the lactic acid rather than accumulating it. You will then not have to stop doing strength exercises prematurely because if either fatigue or a muscle pain.

You can also train yourself to improve your recovery rate by timing each stop to allow yourself just enough time to breathe evenly and deeply before repeating the exercise. With practice this will enable you and your body to recover faster and therefore improving your stamina.

Many stamina building exercises, such using treadmills or jogging, improves the strength and endurance for only those muscles which are involved in the activity. If you thoroughly concentrate on such type of exercises only, in that case you run the risk of developing an imbalanced physique. Imagine, having powerful leg muscles and buttock muscles but at the same time having weak shoulders, chest and arms. To prevent this imbalance, make sure that exercise routines includes resistance exercises for the upper body. Alternatively, you can use stamina building equipments such as rowing or skiing machines that exercise the upper and lower body at the same time, thus providing you a balance physique.

Most of the muscles work in pairs. To create movement in one direction, let’s say like when we pick up a glass of water, one muscle in the arm will contract while the other relaxes. On the other hand, while putting the glass down, when we provide movement in an opposite direction, the muscle actions reverse. Unless both muscles of the pair are exercised evenly, imbalances can occur that can actually reduce the efficiency of the joints and increase the risk of injury. This is one of the major cause for the posture problems, leading to the problems such as persistent neck pain and backache.

You should vary the types of exercise you do so that all the muscles of the body are improved “or conditioned” evenly without actually concentrating on any particular muscle group.

Certain muscles have important roles as fixating, or stabilizing muscles. This means that there main task is to maintain the body’s position or posture while the other muscles are involved in actual physical work, such as lifting, pulling or pushing. Varying your exercises and activities will ensure that these muscles get a proper required workout, too. Strong abdominal muscles, for example, are particularly important when lifting heavy loads. They give extra protection and support to the back and help to prevent a hernia which is a condition where the intestine protrudes through a weak area of muscle.

Always keep in mind that you should never do strength exercises when you are tired. In that case, you greatly increase the risk of injury if, because of physical or mental fatigue, you are not in total control during an exercise or you are not concentrating on doing the exercise correctly. Also remember that exercise is not to be taken lightly or jokingly. Poor exercise techniques is likely to put excessive strain on muscles, joints and connective tissues that are yet not prepared or strong enough to cope with it.

It is very important that exercise is sustained because of the time that is taken before the energy in the body switches from the initial anaerobic energy production systems to the aerobic system. However if you can manage only 10 minutes at a time before tiring, simply try doing it two times a day. There is no point trying to step up the pace before you are ready. No doubt you need to push your body to get fitter, but attempting anything unrealistic can result in injury or discourage you from continuing.

It’s better to start off by walking for 20-30 minutes at a fast pace with which you feel comfortable. Ideally, walking fast would make you breathe harder but still enable you to talk out loud. Unless you know how to monitor your pulse, it would be hard for you to judge the effort you are putting in. You can make a good estimation by gauging the ease with which you talk. Exercise to build stamina needs to be challenging if they are to be effective. Once your current level of activity seems easy, you should start to raise the effort involved. For example, first you increase the distance you usually walk, then you can step up the pace and later perhaps you can include a slight incline in that route. A treadmill can be very helpful in achieving it. Over a period of time, let’s say 10-20 weeks), you may feel fit enough to jog part of the way.

Level 1:
You can talk and exercise at this level indefinitely. Aim to improve it.

Level 2:
You can exercise and still talk in a breathy way. This is the lower level.

Level 3:
You are more breathless but can still talk at this level. This is top level.

Level 4:
You are uncomfortable talking at this level of exercise. You should avoid until you get really fit.

Level 5:
You find it impossible to talk. Only trained athletes should attempt this level.

Over a time, as you get fitter you will find that you perceive your level of exertion as moderate (Level 2 or 3 as mentioned above) even though if you now exercise harder. This shows that your heart, lungs, blood circulation and muscles are actually adapting to the exercise you do, by becoming stronger and more effective. Perhaps surprisingly, you will find that you also perspire more freely. However this is natural. It actually shows that your body’s temperature regulating system is working more effectively and efficiently to dissipate the heat you generate when you are exercising.

You can make walking and jogging more enjoyable by choosing a right place to perform your activities. Parks, gardens are not only good for health but also are attractive thus motivating to perform well. Also try encouraging a friend or a partner to come with you. Exercising with a friend has the added advantage of providing mutual support.

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Stamina building activities are sometimes also referred to as aerobic exercise. Here aerobic literally means “with oxygen”. It refers to all forms of sustained, moderate exercise including walking, cycling and jogging, not just aerobic step and aerobic dance classes.

We usually tend to think that all activities or exercise we do involves oxygen. However this is not the fact. The physical activities such as weight lifting and sprinting are actually the anaerobic exercises, literally meaning “without oxygen”. This is because it takes several minutes for the heart and lungs to circulate blood to the muscles along with oxygen. If the physical activity is very intense, then there is not much time available for the oxygen to be produced and the muscle have to perform without it. In other words they perform anaerobically. Instead they draw upon energy from the existing carbohydrate supplies in the muscles through a chemical transformation process. Muscles cannot work for very long this way. If you are able to sustain any specific exercise for let’s say a period of 20 minutes, it is evident from it that muscles are working aerobically. Similarly to aerobic exercise, regular anaerobic exercise increases the body’s ability to access and utilize energy.

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Your body makes various physiological adaptations if you perform regular stamina-building exercise. The heart muscle becomes stronger and the pumping capacity of the heart also increases. This allows more blood to be pumped around your body per heart beat. Now because of the fact that heart beats more effectively and efficiently, it beats less often. All those people who start a programme of regular exercise in their daily routine will notice that their pulse becomes slower even when they are resting and the pulse gets back to normal rate more quickly after they exercise.

Check your condition by measuring your resting pulse rate early in the morning, before getting out of the bed. If it is above 100 for a woman or above 90 for a man, it’s time to see your doctor before starting your regular stamina exercises. The doctor may advise against certain activities.

Regular stamina-building exercise also increases and expands the lung capacity. Thus, allowing more oxygen in and removing waste carbon dioxide more rapidly, so that you do not get out of breath as quickly. Blood flow also improves through the lungs and around the body. It thus enables more freshly oxygenated blood to reach the muscles, organs and tissues throughout the body.

To achieve the benefits, the heart, lungs and circulation must work harder, little by little, over a period of weeks and months until they, and you, are healthier and fitter than when you started out. Physical activity exercise sessions that can be sustained for at least 20 minutes (ideally a little longer) and done at a moderate level are the key components. Health and fitness experts generally recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of sustained, moderate physical activity at least three times a week.

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Having the determination to achieve your aim is one of the keys to a happy and successful life. Keep on your toes and be prepared for all that life throws at you by building up your physical stamina.

Studies show that more than 50 percent of adults in Western countries do little regular stamina-building exercise, and 25 percent are not physically active in any way. The more sedentary you become in your daily life, the less stamina you have, and this has serious implications on your health.

Stamina ensures, for instance, that you can climb a large flight of stairs without puffing or pausing for breath half-way up or probably run down the road for a bus if you are late for an appointment. There are other names for this ability, including endurance, cardiovascular fitness and aerobic capacity, but they all mean the same thing - that the heart, lungs and circulation are working effectively and efficiently.

While all aspects of fitness are important, improving stamina will have the most immediate and dramatic effects on your health.

“A Harvard University study demonstrated that people who expend 6300 kilojoules (1500 calories) a week through the stamina building activities, such as long distance walking, running or cycling, live the longest.”

Sustained, moderate stamina-building exercises burn fat and so help you to shed that extra weight when combined with a weight reduction diet.

However, if you have been inactive for a while, then check your condition by measuring your resting pulse rate early in the morning, before getting out of the bed. If it is above 100 for a woman or above 90 for a man, it’s time to see your doctor before starting your regular stamina exercises. The doctor may advise against certain activities.

As far as choice for exercise is concerned, Walking and jogging are not the only kinds of stamina building exercises. Cycling, swimming, dancing and step aerobics are also effective, provided they are sustained for 20 minutes or until mild fatigue sets in. Skipping is another simple form of exercise with major aerobic benefits. You can also combine a range of aerobic exercises, such as step-ups and star jumps, into a 20 minute routine to do at home.

Lastly, try to have a companion join you in your workouts. Exercising with friends is fun and keeps you motivated and enthusiastic.

If you’re new to exercise, start slow and steady and build up the required intensity gradually. The benefits of exercise starts from the word go. So in no case would you ever require to push yourself. A healthy level of exercise can make you breathless but still you’ll be able to talk. Try chatting with your friends while performing if you exercise with your friends. And if you don’t have anyone to talk to, then sing a song or count to ten, loud and clear. Exercising will never leave you gasping for air.

If you have some medical condition, such as heart or lung disorder, high blood pressure, diabetes, infections or even a spine or joint ailment, then it is advisable to seek your doctor advice before starting regular exercise. Also, seek an advice from your qualified fitness instructor, to adjust your exercise sessions as per your personal needs.

No matter what exercise you plan to do, it is necessary that you always start with a gentle warm up routine and finish with a cool-down session. The amount of time you need on warming up actually depends on the activity you are preparing for. In general, a warm up exercise should last for 10 minutes and should normally include some aerobic exercises to raise the heart and breathing rate, and then also include stretching out your body so as to increase the suppleness of the joints and muscle flexibility.

A cooling down routine involves activities similar to that of warm up exercises, except for the fact that it lasts for half the time as in warm up exercise. During the cool-down exercise, you gradually reduce the intensity. It allows your breathing rate and heartbeat to slow down gently and prevents the blood from pooling into the veins, which if not done, can cause dizziness. The warm up and cooling down exercises also prevents any post exercising aches, stiffness or soreness, which particularly happens to those who are new to regular exercise.

The main reason for warm up and cool-down exercise is to prepare your body for more activities. But if you don’t find much time for long exercising sessions, even then warm up exercises are worth doing for their own sakes. They will get your heart and lungs working harder and limber up the joints and muscle so that you feel livelier and fitter. These exercises, when done in routine, also reduce the risk of injury, such as strained joint or muscles. So as I mentioned before, Play It Safe!!!!