Fitness
Starting a journey with fitness goals is never easy, and you must remember this is not a crash diet; it is a lifestyle. Don’t panic and think you have to do it all at once, as this will most likely overwhelm you. You may also find yourself giving up because crash diets are not sustainable. So whether you’re a novice taking the first steps toward fitness or an exercise fanatic hoping to optimize your results, a well-rounded fitness training program is essential.
Most people tend to focus on one type of exercise or activity and think they’re doing enough. However, research has shown that it’s essential to get all four types of training: endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Each one has different benefits. Doing one kind also can improve your ability to do the others, and variety helps reduce boredom and risk of injury. In addition, you can find activities that meet your fitness goals and levels no matter your age!
Endurance, Strength, Balance, and Stretching
Endurance activities, often called aerobically, increase your breathing and heart rates. These activities help keep you healthy, improve your fitness, and help you perform the tasks you need to do every day. Endurance exercises improve the health of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. They can also delay or prevent many common diseases in older adults, such as diabetes, colon and breast cancers, heart disease, etc.
Your muscular strength can make a big difference. Strong muscles help you stay independent and make everyday activities more straightforward, like getting up from a chair, climbing stairs, and carrying groceries. In addition, keeping your muscles strong can help balance and prevent falls and fall-related injuries. For example, you are less likely to fall when your leg and hip muscles are strong. Some people call using weight to improve muscle strength “strength training” or “resistance training.”
Some people choose to use weights to help improve their strength. If you do, start by using light weights at first, then gradually add more. Other people use stretchy elastic bands that come in varying strengths. If you are a beginner, try exercising without the band or use a light band until comfortable. Then, add a band or move on to a stronger band (or more weight) when you can easily do two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions. Try to do strength exercises for all of your major muscle groups at least two days per week, but don’t exercise the same muscle group on any two days.
Balance exercises help prevent falls, a common problem in older adults with severe consequences. Many lower-body strength exercises also will improve your balance. Stretching can improve your flexibility. Moving more freely will make it easier for you to reach down to tie your shoes or look over your shoulder when you back your car out of the driveway.
General Fitness
Your focus should be on fitness goals of overall health and well-being rather than narrow goals of sports competition or muscle building. Regular workout regimens will improve good health such as muscle tone, healthy skin, hair, and nails while preventing age or lifestyle reductions in fitness.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Ab Crunch | Barbell Thruster | Bench Press | Bent Over Row | Biceps Curl (seated) | Biceps Curl (standing) | Burpees | Front Grab | Handwalks | Hang Crunches | Kettlebell – Alternating Floor Press | Kettlebell – One-Legged Deadlift | Kettlebell – Squat Press | Kettlebell – Swing | Plyo Mountain Climbers | Push-Up Bars – Mountain Climbers | Resistance Tube – Lat Pulldown
CrossFit
CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program designed to help people gain broad and general fitness. Therefore, it concentrates on constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity to achieve overall physical fitness. Consequently, you’re ready for any physical challenge.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Barbell Thruster | Bench Press | Bent Over Row | Biceps Curl (seated) | Biceps Curl (standing) | Burpees | Calf Press | Dead Lift | Front Grab | Kettlebell – Alternating Floor Press | Kettlebell – Squat Press
Senior Fitness
An active lifestyle is more important than ever to your fitness goals as you grow older. Regular exercise can help boost energy, maintain your independence, and manage symptoms of illness or pain. Exercise can even reverse some of the signs of aging.
And not only is exercise good for your body, but it’s also good for your mind, mood, and memory. So whether you are generally healthy or are managing an illness, there are plenty of ways to get more active, improve confidence, and boost your fitness.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Back Extension | Front Grab | Kettlebell – Alternating Floor Press | Pull Over
Girl Power
Let’s face it, ladies, we are just different from the guys. While it might be okay to borrow a pair of sweat socks or shorts from the fellas, we don’t want to borrow from their workouts. For serious results, we need training designed specifically for what we want – a tighter butt, trimmer thighs, a flat belly, and toned arms – not bulging biceps and a thick neck. It may be complicated and mysterious, but that doesn’t mean our workouts and fitness goals have to be.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Burpees | Front Grab | Kettlebell – Alternating Floor Press | Kettlebell – One-Legged Deadlift | Reverse Lunge
Flexibility
It is important to include flexibility training as part of your fitness goals and regular fitness routines. I proved flexibility can enhance the aerobic exercise, muscular conditioning and sports performance, and everyday activities. Develop and improve your range of movement in a joint or series of joints through stretching with the help of a partner or a piece of equipment. Quality of life is enhanced by improving and maintaining a good range of motion in the joints.
Dynamic Stretching
Dynamic stretching takes a specific movement and makes it a stretching activity, either by deliberate extension of the limb and corresponding muscle groups or through other precise ranges of motion. Experts agree that dynamic stretching can be more effective pre-workout or activity than static stretching. However, the main benefit of using dynamic stretching just before a sporting event or fitness routine is that, because dynamic stretches use motions similar to those an athlete undertakes, they effectively simulate a performance experience.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercise
Back Extension | Butt Kicks | Knee highs | Toe tucks | Side lunge
Static Stretching
Static stretching aims to overcome the stretch reflex (the automatic tightening of a muscle when stretched, which relaxes after approximately 20 seconds) to coax a joint into a broader range of motion. Experts agree that Static Stretching is best for post-workout or sports activity to increase range of motion and prevent injury.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercise
Overhead triceps stretch | Biceps stretch | Cobra Pose | Seated butterfly stretch | Head-to-knee forward bend
Myofascial Release
Myofascial release keeps muscles from tightening up and exerting more force than your bones can tolerate. There are many benefits to using myofascial release techniques, such as increased range of motion and improved mobility, reduction of scar tissue and adhesions, decreased tone of overactive muscles, and an enhanced quality of movement.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercise
Standing quad stretch | Standing hamstring stretch | Seated shoulder squeeze | Foam rolling
Interval Training
You can develop specific factors such as improved short-term intensity of effort through a series of low to high-intensity exercise workouts combined with rest or relief periods. This type of training is prominent in many sports-related programs, specifically runners and CrossFit training.
Strength Interval Training
Research has shown that high-intensity interval strength training can result in higher Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) than traditional strength training, which will result in more significant fat burn. In addition, studies have shown that after completing high-intensity strength training routines, your body will continue to burn calories up to 24 hours after working out, while the caloric burn of standard weight training is usually over within two hours.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Barbell Thruster | Bench Press | Bent Over Row | Biceps Curl (seated) | Biceps Curl (standing) | Burpees | Dead Lift | Kettlebell – Clean and Jerk | Kettlebell – Alternating Floor Press | Kettlebell – One-Legged Deadlift | Kettlebell – Squat Press | Kettlebell – Sumo Deadlift | Kettlebell – Swing | Pull Over
Cardio Interval Training
Research has shown that high-intensity cardio interval training can result in higher Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) than traditional cardio training, which will result in more significant fat burn. In addition, studies have shown that Intervals increase calorie burn both during and after exercise. Therefore, cardio interval training helps you lose weight faster and should be included if weight loss is one of your fitness goals.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Kettlebell – Swing | Plank Jump Push-Ups | Plyo Mountain Climbers | Speed Rope Criss Cross | Speed Rope Double Under | Speed Rope Interval Jump | Speed Rope Running In Place | Speed Rope Skier’s Jump | Speed Rope Split Jumps | Sumo Squat & Leg Lift | Weighted Vest – Burpees | Weighted Vest – Push-Ups | Weighted Vest – Squat | Weighted Vest – Handwalks
Body Weight Training
Simple bodyweight exercises can be an excellent choice for achieving gains in strength, building muscle, boosting cardiovascular fitness, and burning fat. Bodyweight exercises are a great choice because they’re easily modified to challenge any fitness level. Adding extra repetitions, performing the exercises faster or super-slow, and perfecting form are a few ways to make even the most straightforward exercise more challenging.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Ab Sling – Oblique Bend | Ab Sling – Straight Leg Raise | Ab Sling – Windshield Wipers | Burpees | Front Grab | Glute Kickback | Handwalks | High Knees | Plank Jump Push-Ups | Plyo Mountain Climbers | Push-Up Bars – Plank Toe Rolls | Push-Up Bars – Triceps Dip | Push-Up Bars – Wide Push-Up | Reverse Lunge | Speed Rope Criss Cross | Speed Rope Double Under
Combat Training
Through a brutal but effective exercise regimen, successful fighters must maintain their strength, cardiovascular efficiency, and endurance at peak levels. So whether you are a professional fighter ready to step into the ring or simply heading off to boot camp class, training like a fighter can give you an edge.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Barbell Thruster | Bent Over Row | Dead Lift | Kettlebell – Swing
Weight loss
Exercise and diet are the two most effective methods of weight loss available. Cardiovascular exercise can burn calories and have immediate results for weight loss. Strength training can burn calories during activity, and increased muscle mass burns calories long after the workout. Simply put, exercise is the best weight loss tool available.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercise
Speed Rope Double Under | Jumping Jacks | Swimming | Yoga
Cardio conditioning
Cardio conditioning promotes cardiovascular health, reduces blood pressure, lowers resting heart rate, and builds a stronger heart. In addition, cardio exercise can also allow you to work harder for more extended periods, with increased stamina and endurance.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Burpees | High Knees | Kettlebell – Sumo Deadlift | Kettlebell – Swing | Plank Jump Push-Ups | Plyo Mountain Climbers | Speed Rope Criss Cross | Speed Rope Double Under | Speed Rope Interval Jump | Speed Rope Runi In Place | Speed Rope Skier’s Jump | Speed Rope Split Jumps | Sumo Squat & Leg Lift
Six-pack ABS
It will take dedication, time, and patience to get a six-pack. First, you need to do two things: lose fat and build muscle. A well-kept waistline improves your posture, keeps you healthy, and—let’s face it—turns heads when you hit the sand come summer. So whatever you’re going for, these ab-busters will help you melt fat and makeover your midsection.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercise
Burpees
Fat Burn
No question about it; burning fat is a 24/7 endeavor. The right combination of cardio training and strength-building exercises is the key to burning fat and turning it into muscle. You’ve packed on the muscle, and now it’s time to get lean.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Barbell Thruster | Burpees | Handwalks | High Knees | Kettlebell – Swing | Plank Jump Push-Ups | Plyo Mountain Climbers | Speed Rope Criss Cross | Speed Rope Double Under | Speed Rope Interval Jump | Speed Rope Running In Place | Speed Rope Skier’s Jump | Speed Rope Split Jumps | Sumo Squat & Leg Lift
Circuit Training
Circuit training is one of the best ways to make a resistance and strength training workout challenging for your heart and lungs. Furthermore, Circuit Training burns 30 percent more calories than a typical weight workout and offers more cardio benefits.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Barbell Thruster | Bench Press | Burpees | Dead Lift | Handwalks | High Knees | Kettlebell – Swing | Plank Jump Push-Ups | Speed Rope Criss Cross | Speed Rope Double Under | Speed Rope Interval Jump | Speed Rope Running In Place | Speed Rope Skier’s Jump | Speed Rope Split Jumps | Sumo Squat & Leg Lift
Rehabilitation
Any rehabilitation program restores the body to pre-injury or pre-illness levels or improved condition, operation, or capacity. Physical rehabilitation is restoring shape to physical movement through exercise. Injuries and atrophy can lead to controlled exercise movements to rehabilitate the body.
Physical Therapy
The key to successful physical therapy is rehabilitating and re-educating the muscles and surrounding structures to their proper strength and function. Choosing the best equipment for your therapy needs will be specific to your situation. However, whatever the case, flexibility, function, and design will be essential to ensure the best solutions.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Ab Crunch | Resistance Tube – Concentration Curl | Resistance Tube – Double Bicep Curl | Resistance Tube – Forward Raise | Resistance Tube – Lateral Band Walk | Resistance Tube – Overhead Press | Resistance Tube – Prone Leg Curl | Resistance Tube – Side Delt Raise | Resistance Tube – Side Plank | Resistance Tube – Squat | Resistance Tube – Standing Row | Resistance Tube – Upright Row
Shoulder Rehab
The shoulder is one of the most complex groupings of muscles, tendons, and joints in the body. Therefore, Range-of-motion, flexibility, and mobility are the top priorities when repairing a damaged shoulder. A functional and flexible program is the best way to bring your body back to top performance levels.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Resistance Tube – Forward Raise | Resistance Tube – Overhead Press | Resistance Tube – Side Delt Raise
Knee Rehab
Underdeveloped knee muscles are the leading cause of most sports injuries and knee replacement surgeries. After any injury or surgery, you want to rehab and strengthen your knee as soon as possible immediately. The faster you get started, the quicker you can regain strength and mobility in your knee and bring it back to normal.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Resistance Tube – Prone Leg Curl | Resistance Tube – Squat
Back Rehab
Approximately 8 out of 10 people will experience back pain symptoms at least one time. In addition, injury, surgery, or weakened muscles can contribute to back pain and limited mobility. Therefore, regular exercises to restore the strength of your back and a gradual return to everyday activities are essential for your full recovery.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Back Extension | Resistance Tube – Seated Row | Resistance Tube – Side Plank | Resistance Tube – Standing Row | Resistance Tube – Upright Row
Performance
Improve athletic performance by developing strength, speed, sport-specific power, agility, endurance, balance, coordination, flexibility, injury prevention strategies, nutrition education, and confidence.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Ab Crunch | Back Extension | Barbell Thruster
Speed and Agility
Speed is moving the body in one direction as fast as possible. Agility is the ability to accelerate, decelerate, stabilize, and quickly change directions with proper posture.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Ab Crunch | Barbell Thruster | Burpees | Calf Press | High Knees | Kettlebell – Swing | Plank Jump Push-Ups | Plyo Mountain Climbers | Push-Up Bars – Mountain Climbers | Resistance Tube – Lateral Band Walk | Resistance Tube – Thigh Squeezes | Speed Rope Criss Cross | Speed Rope Double Under | Speed Rope Interval Jump | Speed Rope Runi In Place
Plyometrics
Initially developed for Olympic athletes, plyometric training has become a popular workout routine for people of all ages, including children and adolescents. In addition, because plyometric exercises mimic the motions used in sports such as skiing, tennis, football, basketball, volleyball, and boxing, plyometric training often is used to condition professional and amateur adult athletes.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Burpees | Handwalks | Kettlebell – Swing | Plyo Mountain Climbers | Resistance Tube – Lateral Band Walk | Resistance Tube – Thigh Squeezes | Reverse Lunge | Speed Rope Skier’s Jump | Sumo Squat & Leg Lift
Core Strength
Core training is one of the most essential and often overlooked elements of your workout routine. Furthermore, your core consists of dozens of muscles that perform multiple tasks, including holding you upright and protecting your vital organs. When these muscles contract, they stabilize the spine, pelvis, and shoulder girdle and create a solid support base. When this happens, we can generate powerful movements of the extremities.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Ab Crunch | Back Extension | Burpees | Crunch & Extend | Handwalks | Hang Crunches | Kettlebell – Alternating Floor Press | Kettlebell – Squat Press | Kettlebell – Swing | Plank Jump Push-Ups | Plyo Mountain Climbers | Push-Up Bars – Mountain Climbers | Push-Up Bars – Triceps Dip | Resistance Tube – Lateral Band Walk | Resistance Tube – Side Plank
Balance
Physical therapists and athletic trainers have known the secrets of balance training for years. Moreover, balance is the essence of everything you do, from day-to-day activities to high-performance athletics. It doesn’t matter how strong your arms and legs are if the muscles they’re attached to aren’t equally as strong. Today, athletes worldwide recognize that balance training helps them perform better in their sports. In addition, fitness experts know that good balance and a strong core go hand in hand.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Ab Crunch | Back Extension | Handwalks | Resistance Tube – Lateral Band Walk | Resistance Tube – Thigh Squeezes | Reverse Lunge | Speed Rope Criss Cross | Speed Rope Double Under | Speed Rope Interval Jump | Speed Rope Runi In Place | Speed Rope Skier’s Jump | Speed Rope Split Jumps | Weighted Vest – Handwalks
Strength Building
Through using resistance to improve muscle and tendon strength, strength training can significantly improve health and overall quality of life. For instance, the benefits include increasing bone, muscle, tendon, and ligament strength. Strengthening can also improve cardiac function, help with weight loss and elevate good cholesterol.
Powerlifting
Powerlifting allows you to build muscle, burn fat, strengthen your skeleton, and reduce the risk of injury in other sports and activities. Furthermore, a powerlifting routine supports nearly every skeletal muscle. Once you start powerlifting, you’ll undoubtedly find benefits in areas of your life outside competition or the gym.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Barbell Thruster | Bench Press | Bent Over Row | Biceps Curl (standing) | Dead Lift
Bodybuilding
Big chest, massive arms, bulging legs – there’s no better way to achieve results than resistance training. Of course, hitting the weights has been the mainstay of physical fitness for nearly a hundred years. Still, bodybuilding has other benefits beyond size. For example, bodybuilding has an incredible healthy impact on muscle, bones, and joints and can reduce blood pressure and high cholesterol, control osteoporosis and arthritis.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Bench Press | Bent Over Row | Biceps Curl (seated) | Biceps Curl (standing) | Calf Press | Dead Lift
Muscle endurance
Muscular endurance is the ability of muscles to do continuous work over an extended time. Therefore, building muscle endurance is essential if you play any sports or are involved in any physical activity that lasts for a long time. For example, sports such as Hockey, Basketball, Football, Tennis, or soccer are all dependent on muscular endurance.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Barbell Thruster | Bench Press | Bent Over Row | Biceps Curl (seated) | Biceps Curl (standing) | Burpees | Calf Press | Dead Lift | Front Grab | Kettlebell – Alternating Floor Press | Kettlebell – Squat Press
Cardio
Cardio workouts are indispensable to an effective training program and general good health. In addition, cardio fitness gives you endurance and the ability to persist in sports and life.
Running
Running is incredibly effective at making you healthier in several ways. For example, it allows a person to burn an average of 100 calories per mile they run. In addition, running can help prevent disease, boost your confidence, relieve stress, and eliminate depression. So grab your shoes and get going – nothing is stopping you.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercise
High Knees
Walking
Research has shown that walking and moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day can help you lose weight, reduce the risk of various diseases, fight depression, improve blood sugar and enhance your mental well-being.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercise
Handwalks
Cycling
Along with being one of the most efficient modes of human transportation, cycling is also one of the best all-around activities for improving your health. Furthermore, cycling increases muscle tone, builds stamina, improves cardiovascular fitness, and burns calories.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercise
Stationary Spinning
Low Impact
Now and again, we need to give the body a break from the pounding it takes involved with many physical activities. Whether it’s from injury, debilitation, or just necessary recuperation, low-impact cardio is an effective way to burn fat while reducing the risk of injury.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Burpees | Kettlebell – Swing | Plank Jump Push-Ups | Plyo Mountain Climbers | Squat | Sumo Squat & Leg Lift | Weighted Vest – Burpees | Weighted Vest – Handwalks
Stress relief
Regular exercise is a proven stress reliever. Exercise eases your overall health and sense of well-being, giving you more self-confidence. Furthermore, this self-confidence can lower the symptoms of mild depression and anxiety. Along with the indirect impact, physical activity also increases your brain’s endorphin production, making you feel better immediately.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Kettlebell – Swing | Seated Row
Yoga
Studies have shown that Yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve balance, flexibility, range of motion, and core strength, improve your overall fitness level, fight disease and change your mood. Therefore, everyone will benefit from Yoga from teens, athletes, middle-aged moms and dads, and seniors.
Fitness Goals – Featured Exercises
Child’s Pose | Downward-Facing Dog | Plank Pose | Four-Limbed Staff Pose | Tree Pose | Triangle Pose | Seated Half-Spinal Twist Pose | Bridge Pose | Corpse Pose
Fitness Goals Summary
Right now, you might be hitting the gym pretty hard, getting yourself into the best shape of your life. Of course, it won’t always be that way, so just realize that fitness should be a part of your life for decades to come. In particular, realize that fitness should be a lifetime commitment with ever-changing goals and expectations, and it should help you live a longer, healthier life.