What Is Fitness?
Aristotle helped define the standards of fitness 2,500 years ago when he taught that a thing that suits its purpose well is fit. Fortunately for us, the cardiovascular system, lungs, skeleton, muscles, endocrine system and all the other amazing components of the body function for our purpose: to live well.
Exercising aids fitness in numerous ways, each involving one or more of those systems.
Increased physical activity causes the heart to work harder than at rest. That increases blood flow, floods tissues with fresh oxygen and removes cellular waste products.
Exercise causes the lungs to draw in extra oxygen to bathe the tissues and help power the heart. Exhalation removes carbon dioxide, a waste product of certain biochemical reactions.
Regular, moderate exercise helps raise HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol (the ‘good’ type). It helps regulate blood sugar levels and converts stored fat into sugars that are used to provide energy. That process also prevents obesity.
The other benefits of a regular fitness program are more obvious and usually among the more direct goals of most people who make the effort: increased muscle mass, toned legs, buttocks, arms, stomach and healthier looking skin. Along the way, the individual receives the added value of greater strength, improved balance, higher endurance and (often) a better frame of mind.
Different types of routines will emphasize one area more than another. Aerobic routines help the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, weight lifting focuses on building muscle tone and mass, yoga and pilates helps balance, flexibility and muscular control. But each of these, and several more, help more than just the intended focus group. The body is an integrated system and improving one area almost always has beneficial consequences for others.
All those benefits, at least to a moderate degree, can be had for minimal daily effort. Moderate intensity activity for 30 minutes per day, at least five days per week, will go a long way toward optimizing fitness.
A brisk walk, taking the stairs up one or two flights, a short daily jog, jumping rope and many other simple activities can be carried out with no special equipment or training.
More intense activity, done properly, can raise that level even further. A vigorous tennis game, a few laps in the swimming pool, an hour on the treadmill or exercise bike, or any of a dozen others, can raise your fitness to a peak with only a moderate investment of time and money.
For the truly committed there are, of course, a thousand and one classes at the gym, and every conceivable kind of home fitness equipment to fit a variety of budgets. A daily routine using free weights, followed by a good jog around the park will keep all systems functioning well.
And, as Aristotle taught all those centuries ago, to function well is to live well.
What Good Is Sweat?
Perspiration isn’t generally considered desirable. It makes clothes wet and uncomfortable, it makes our skin unpleasant to touch and it often smells bad. But the biological fact is that sweating is essential to good health, especially during exercise.
Why?
Humans take in and use water for a number of important physiological functions. It provides a medium for cells and tissues. It makes possible the transport throughout the body of important elements or compounds like sodium and sugar not to mention forming part of the blood that moves them. It provides structural cohesion and lubrication between all parts. But there’s one more highly important function it helps perform: temperature control.
Homeostasis is the body’s ability to keep certain processes and factors in equilibrium, this is not too far from a central point. Body temperature is one key item among those. When body temperature gets too high, we experience fever and ultimately heat stroke. If it’s too low, we get chills. Both are signs that the body is in a less than ideal state.
One major reason is that all chemical reactions within the body have to take place within a very narrow range in terms of rate. Compounds have to be used and produced at just the right quantities within a certain time in order to proceed properly, or at all. Temperature, for very basic physical chemistry reasons, is a key factor in controlling that rate.
So how does sweat play a role in that?
Perspiring does not occur primarily in order to keep the amount of fluid in homeostasis – urination does that, along with breathing (though sweating plays a small part). But it has a huge effect on body temperature. As we exercise, chemical reactions speed up and mechanical motion is taking place. Both those produce more heat energy, which raises the internal temperature.
But the body is constantly seeking homeostasis – an equilibrium within a narrow range around a central point. For humans, that’s 98.6F/37C on average – a small deviation is within normal range. As we sweat, the excess heat energy is moved from inside the body to the outside, along the surface of the skin, carried along with the perspiration.
Outside the body a physical principle is at work – Newton’s Law of Cooling. Inside too, but never mind for now. Ignoring advanced mathematics, it says essentially that warmer bodies lose heat to cooler ones. We get cooler, the air gets a little warmer. Air molecules collide with the sweat molecules and pick up some of the heat energy they contain. That lowers the temperature of the sweat, lowering our temperature in the process (on the outside).
The net effect is to take excess heat on the inside and move it to the outside, somewhat like a home air conditioner or a car radiator. That helps keep the internal temperature at a constant 98.6F/37C.
That process takes place with breathing and just simple exposure. But sweating makes the process much more efficient, since water can carry a lot more heat than air does alone.
So, though it may have its unpleasant aspects, be thankful you perspire. After all, if you lacked sweat glands like your dog does, you’d look very silly panting.
Warm-Ups For Optimal Workouts
Static and dynamic stretching are two elements in a warm-up routine that help prevent injury and maximize performance. But, consider, why do we warm-up at all? And, are there other aspects to a good warm-up routine?
By performing warm-up routines, you actually do literally just that – warm up the body. Internal body temperature can’t raise by a large amount, or you would have all the symptoms of a fever. Nevertheless, the temperature in the muscles can, and should, be raised slightly in order to dilate blood vessels and loosen muscles.
That dilation leads to greater blood flow, which helps oxygenate muscles and remove the waste products of cellular activity. Warm muscles are looser, more supple and flexible. That reduces stiffness and lowers resistance to larger movements. That helps reduce the risk of injury and prepares the body for high-performance activity.
A good warm-up also raises the heart rate, respiratory capacity and the overall metabolic level. Among other benefits, this helps deliver nutrients to muscles that will be useful for the workout to come. Warm-ups help lubricate joints, too, as well as lowering the risk to stretched tendons and tears.
No matter what kind of sport or workout you favor, having a well-functioning cardiovascular system and supple joints and muscles are essential for peak performance and low risk of injury.
A 10-15 minute warm-up period, including static and dynamic stretching activities, should be a low-intensity version of the routines that will be undertaken when the warm-up is complete.
Focus the non-stretching aspect of your warm-up more on the specific types of movement called for by the sport or activity you plan to engage in. If you plan to jog five miles, take a brisk walk, followed by a few gentle laps of a hundred yards or less. If you plan to play tennis or golf, spend a few minutes on low-speed, low-impact swings.
As you progress through the warm-up, gradually increase the speed and range of movement. This helps prepare the body and mind both.
Making the increase gradual helps increase the cardio and lung systems, and slowly cranks up needed body chemicals systems without depleting them. It helps gear up the mind for a high performance routine or sports event, in a way that static or even dynamic stretches won’t.
Like any physical activity, don’t overdo it. Don’t warm-up too much or too fast. The idea is to prepare the body for a workout, not perform one.
At the end, you’ll be ready to perform the sport or workout of your choice at peak level with minimal risk of injury.
Upper Body Exercises
Most upper body exercises have as their goal to build strength. In order to maximize the beneficial effect of the routine, you’ll want to mix in some good cardiovascular workouts – spinning, jogging, etc – and alternate the activities with lower body work.
Before starting any routine, be sure to spend at least 10 minutes warming up, including good stretching exercises. Warm, loose muscles are much less likely to tear themselves or attached tendons. Also, you’ll want to get the circulatory system activated and muscle temperature increased for good blood flow.
How much weight to use, how many reps to perform and other variables are determined by your overall goals. Do you want to build muscle mass or just tone? For more mass, use more weight. For better tone, use less weight and do more reps. Do you want to increase flexibility and overall fitness or prepare for specific events?
In any case, these traditional exercises will help you get started down that road. Some can be performed without equipment, others require only a very simple set of free weights or resistance equipment. Resistance equipment includes rubber straps with handles, springs and others that work primarily by offering resistance to tension. Weights work primarily by providing compression and/or tension due to gravity.
Warning: Never exercise ‘through the pain’. Mild discomfort – especially after a prolonged period of inactivity – is normal. But intense pain is a sign of trouble. Consult your physician.
Push-Ups
Even with all the contemporary sports science around, traditional push-ups remain an excellent upper body exercise. Start on your stomach, back straight, feet together, hands under the shoulders. Press against the floor, keeping your back and legs straight, then lower yourself back to the floor. For a little extra effort push-up, slow the action down and both raise and lower more slowly.
Try to do 20, then build up to 40, then to 80 push-ups.
More Chest Work
Start with 10 lb (4.5 kg) hand-held dumbbells. Flat on your back on a comfortable surface, such as a carpet or mat, hold the weights in each hand, palms up, arms extended perpendicular from the body. Lift slowly and bring the hands together.
To vary the action, and get the biceps a good workout, too, try bending at the elbow when the arms are raised about 20 degrees, then straighten and continue.
Lats
Stand up straight, arms at your side, grasping the dumbbells. Maintain good balance and breathe normally. At the maximum point of inhalation, thrust the arms away from the body, palms inward. Exhale as you raise your arms to shoulder height, then lower your hands slowly back to the starting position.
To vary the exercise, and get the biceps and triceps involved, rotate the weights and curl your arms up at the top of the swing. Straighten the arm, then lower as described above.
Do 10 reps.
(Note: The ‘lats’ or latissiumus dorsi’ are the large, side muscles that make men triangle-shaped.)
Biceps and Triceps
Move the weights in front of the body, with your arms hanging above the front of your thighs. Without swinging or pushing off the thighs, lift the weights toward your chest. Alternate using one arm, then the other.
Do 10 reps for each arm. If you experience lower back pain during the exercise, stop immediately. Put off the exercise until another day, or see your physician.
Exercises for the lats or biceps can be done with free weights or using a long, elastic resistance strap. Hook one end with the foot and grab the other with your hand. Proceed as described above.
Pull-ups/Chin-ups
If you have access to a sturdy bar, either in the gym or at a playground, or at home in a doorway, you can perform chin-ups and pull-ups. Chins ups are done with the fingers toward you, pull-ups with the fingers facing away, while your hands grasp the bar above your head.
This low-tech exercise remains one of the best ways to build biceps, triceps, lats and pectorals all at once.
No matter what routine you choose, don’t overdo it. Build up your strength gradually. One of the most common reasons people don’t continue workouts is pain produced from incorrect technique or excessive effort exerted too early in the process.
Tips For Choosing Equipment
If your workout consists of more than just jogging, at some point you’ll want to invest in some fitness equipment. Which you select will, naturally, depend on lots of things – budget vs price, quality vs needs, type and interests and so forth.
Fitness equipment can run anywhere from $50 to $5,000 or more. You may be satisfied with an exercise ball or you may want a complete gym. That depends, of course, on your budget, your commitment and your desired workout routine.
A few free weights might be a good start if your preliminary goal is to tone and build muscle mass. A quality bar for chin-ups and pull-ups would be a good addition to a basic set. Between floor exercises and some elementary weight lifting, combined with chin-ups or pull-ups, you can design a varied workout.
It’s always a good idea to have a longer-term plan, though. Buy higher quality today, equipment that lasts and that will continue to be part of your routine for several years. If you’re considering an exercise bike, for example, in order to do some spinning for a great cardio workout, get something solid and reliable. You want the bike to be good for at least five years.
Make sure you take into account how much space you have, and how much you’re likely to have for the next few years. For a bike you need only about 10 square feet, but a treadmill will require 30 square feet. A multi-station weight machine may take up to 100 square feet or more, depending on the design.
If you’re just starting out, test a variety of equipment from different manufacturers at multiple outlets. Several companies make high quality gear, but every person is an individual. That means that a machine that works great for one person may be unsuited for another.
A rowing machine that fits your tall friend may be useless, or actually harmful, for you. Get equipment that’s adjustable to fit your body size and type. That also helps when and if you share the equipment with a partner. Make sure the adjustments – for tensions, lengths, weights, etc – will travel through a wide range. As you build strength and endurance you’ll want equipment that continues to test you as you develop.
Make sure you, and anyone who shares it, can use the equipment safely. Multi-station weight machines have safety features that vary in style and effectiveness. Pick equipment that suits you, not the salesperson.
From some advisors, ‘no pain, no gain’ can mean ‘you should feel some pain’. Some mild discomfort the day after is normal and expected. But if it hurts you to use the gear, either you’re doing something wrong – and should get guidance about proper technique – or the equipment isn’t right for you. You should feel comfortable using it.
For example, walking machines should have rails that suit your height. They should also have rollers and settings that you can operate properly while in motion. Weight machines should have a chair and handlebars that you can sit in and grab without straining and don’t produce back or neck aches.
Shop around, ask a lot of questions and don’t buy until you are satisfied that you’ve found something that will last and suits your unique style.
The Body’s Energy System
Some of the major goals of exercise are to improve muscle tone, strength, and endurance. All of this is made possible by, and requires, the body’s energy production-and-use system. Central to that system is a complex molecule called ATP, Adenosine Triphosphate.
ATP is a core element of a process known in biochemical studies as (ready for it?): the tricarboxylic acid cycle, or the Kreb’s cycle. But don’t worry about the complicated names. The basic ideas are very simple.
Carbohydrates are broken down into sugars which produce ATP. Simple sugars break down more easily and therefore, on average, more quickly. Complex carbohydrates take longer – and therefore supply the body with a longer lasting storehouse of compounds needed to produce ATP.
Sugar, per se, is NOT bad, only excess sugar, consumed in unhelpful forms, can lead to poor health effects.
ATP is broken down into ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate) and releases energy in the process. ADP later in the process then picks up the needed molecules to produce more ATP. That’s why it’s known as a cycle, since the process ‘cycles around’ to the beginning and starts over. That energy is used to maintain and repair cells, fuel respiration and organ systems and – more to our purpose here – produce the energy needed to fuel muscle contractions.
As byproducts of the cycle, heat and carbon dioxide are produced. The heat is eliminated by a number of means, including respiration and sweating. The carbon dioxide is carried through the system and some of it is expelled during respiration.
In order to carry out exercise, one essential element of which is muscle contraction, ATP must be produced continuously over varying stretches of time. In order to carry out this task, the body actually has three different ATP producing systems, with different production rates.
The phosphagen system replenishes ATP quickly, but only for short periods. That aids sprinters, fast-twitch fibers and other short-term uses. The glycogen-lactic system produces more slowly, but lasts up to 90 seconds or so. Aerobic respiration (normal oxygen breathing) makes ATP the most slowly, but can continue indefinitely.
As you exercise, ATP is consumed. That’s one of the chief reasons you have to eat – in order to replenish the building blocks that can produce more ATP. Once you have more ATP, you have the basic molecule needed to engage in exercise and we’re back where we began.
The body is an amazing, self-regulating complex of interconnected systems. None is more fascinating or central than the way it produces and consumes energy, an essential component of life itself.
Stretching Exercises For Any Sport
Being flexible – having well lubricated joints and stretchable muscles – is one of the best ways to reduce the prospect of injury and give you the basis for a wide variety of workout routines.
Your overall goal is to attain good range of motion, while gradually extending that range to a degree appropriate to your fitness level and body type. There are several different ways to accomplish that goal, and you should use at least a few of them before every workout.
Warm-ups are fundamental. Cold muscles are much more likely to tear and lead to stretched or torn cartilage and other harmful results. Warm-ups and stretches help produce the fluid that lubricates the joints, and it helps the muscles become more elastic. Those both lead to safer, higher performance workouts.
Ten to fifteen minutes is the minimum for most people. This can be done by low-impact jogging in place, simple stretches and other techniques.
Static stretching, for example, is the old-fashioned stretch and hold for 30 seconds. This should be done with the arms, trunk, legs and neck. Dynamic stretching and ballistic stretching involve more active, bouncing-style or weight-assisted stretching, sometimes with extra force applied. Both types are helpful.
Some dynamic stretches involve holding the arms out to the side, then swinging them back and forth across front of the body, repeating for 30 seconds. Another technique involves using a short bar across the neck, lying on the shoulders. Place your hands on the bar, then bend slowly left, then right, moving the head toward the outer edge of the foot.
Abdominal muscles can be prepared by lying backwards on a large rubber ball. Push back slowly and raise the arms above your head. Repeat 10 times. Loosen your hamstrings by lying on your back, and raising one outstretched leg using a large towel wrapped around the foot. Grab the ends and pull up slowly. Switch legs, then repeat for 10 reps.
A full back stretch is accomplished by lying on your back and bringing both knees to the chest, hands clasped behind the knees. Roll forward until your feet hit the floor, then roll back until the head touches. Do 10 rolls.
Groin stretches can be done safely by using a large rubber ball. Place one knee on the ball and slowly rotate the ball a few inches away from your body. Move the ball back toward your body, then switch legs. Do 10 movements.
Both the legs and back muscles can get a good warm-up stretch by doing toe taps. Stand up straight, feet apart about shoulder width. Lean forward, touching the big toe on one foot with the opposite hand – left hand to right foot, and vice-versa. Those with lower back problems should consult a trainer or physician before attempting these.
For maximum flexibility, stretching routines should be carried out at least a few times per week. This will help maximize the range of motion and decrease the potential for injury.
Professional Gyms Good, Bad and Optional
Gyms offer a number of benefits, both practical and psychological. But there are a few caveats to consider before taking the plunge.
Few could afford to buy the variety of equipment that gyms typically offer. Multi-station weight machines are just the beginning. Most gyms have treadmills, stationary rowing equipment, stretching bars, etc.
Many have tennis and racquetball courts, occasionally even squash and Jai Lai courts. Jai Lai is that fast-paced Spanish-origin game played in a racquetball-like court with a curved racket, only much faster. In addition, some gyms offer swimming pools, saunas and even rock-climbing practice walls.
Unless you’re a multi-millionaire you couldn’t begin to duplicate the space or the gear.
Then there’s the expertise you’ll find at a gym – both from the trainers and the other members. Gyms frequently have professional trainers on staff that can answer just about any question you have. They provide weight-training guidance, health tips and even dietary advice.
Gym members are sometimes more knowledgeable than the professionals. People dedicated to optimal fitness often take the time and effort to study the field. You’ll find fitness fanatics, aerobics instructors and medical doctors among the clientele.
Apart from the equipment and assistance, gyms offer an opportunity to socialize during activities that can be pretty boring. Few people think a treadmill is the height of excitement and watching TV while walking can deaden your mind as you tone your body.
You’ll make social contacts, get encouragement and have the chance to psych up into a regular routine in a way that is hard to duplicate at home.
But gyms sometimes have a common set of drawbacks.
Gym membership can be expensive. Most offer different payment plans – per visit, per month, per year or lifetime. Per visit is usually pricey, though it might be a good option if you’re just visiting a city. Per month is often the best value, but prices can still be between $30 and $300 per month. Many will offer a trial membership, either free or at a reduced rate for the first month.
Of course, no price is a good deal if you don’t go. And going to the gym can begin to seem like just one more duty among more pressing obligations. Many people in contemporary society lead extremely busy lives and finding time to go to the gym may well end up near the bottom of a long list.
Gyms can be messy. Most gym members are conscientious about wiping down the equipment, but it only takes a small number to spoil a gym for the majority. Alert staff can help keep those occasions few and far between, so look for a gym with staff that care.
Gyms can be unhealthy. Mingling with lots of people in a hot, humid atmosphere can encourage the spread of colds and other air-borne or contact-spread diseases. Showers are particularly prone to this since you usually have to touch the controls.
Only the individual can weigh the pros and cons and reach a final decision about which are most important. Unless you are lucky enough to find the right one the first time out, try a few on a trial basis before committing to anything long term.
Physicians, What To Look For
Most articles on fitness, when discussing routines and exercises will recommend consulting a physician first. That isn’t just a means of covering the author against potential legal action. It’s a recognition of the fact that exercise, done improperly, can be harmful and sometimes you can’t get everything you need to know with a few web searches.
A medical doctor, especially one that specializes in sports medicine – a relatively new focus – can check your overall fitness before beginning, help you define your limits and recommend specific routines to help you accomplish your chosen goals.
Regrettably, not all physicians are created equal. They’re rushed, overburdened with government regulations and paperwork and sometimes they’re just not very good doctors. This shouldn’t be surprising. Every other profession has a range of competence, there’s no reason to expect medical doctors to be any different.
Unless you are fortunate enough to get a great recommendation, experience (a part of which is simple trial and error) will ultimately land you a medical doctor suitable for your purpose. Asking the right questions like “What is your experience with sports medicine?”, “What is your stance on diet ‘X’ or drug ‘Y’?”, “What would you recommend for someone like me?” – will help you reach that goal.
Don’t be put off by a busy doctor, you’re paying for his or her time. Also, find one that’s willing to explain in terms you can understand, without acting like you’re an idiot for asking.
Nearly all physicians will have a basic knowledge of anatomy, nutrition, proper functioning and so forth. But physicians who specialize in sports or fitness will have a thorough, in-depth experience-based knowledge of the subject. It’s no criticism of physicians that they do not all have that. No one can be an expert in every area.
That in-depth expertise will help you in a dozen ways.
Avoiding injury is primary in developing any workout routine. Mild discomfort is normal, especially when beginning or after a long period of inactivity. But pain is a signal that something is wrong. It could just be improper technique, or it may be something more serious. A physician can help you find out the cause of your pain, or help develop a routine that avoids it in the first place.
Optimizing your cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, strength, endurance, balance, flexibility and overall fitness involves understanding first and foremost how different routines will effect you in particular.
Men and women have basic differences and even racial differences play a part in developing correct routines. Body types differ among different groups. Each individual has a specific arrangement of joints and muscles, a unique level of lung and heart capacity, a distinctive genetic inheritance and so forth. Ultimately, you need a workout that is optimized for you specifically.
A sports physician can help you achieve those goals, beyond the level at which most fitness professionals – good as many of them are – can generally do so. Make time to see one before beginning any strenuous exercise program.
Men and Women, Differences In Routine
Though stereotypes are dissolving with each generation, there are some that persist – in part, because they are based on real differences between men and women.
While some women can and do achieve the upper body strength of some (even very fit) men, the overwhelming majority of males have a natural advantage in this area. Male aesthetic values, the source of which isn’t clear, reinforce this and so they tend to work on upper body more than some other areas, relative to women’s efforts.
Women, in part out of a desire to be seen as attractive, will focus exercises more on buttocks and legs. But here they also have a slight natural advantage for some exercises. A woman’s pelvis tilts at a different angle than a man’s. This effects the style and efficiency of squats, for example. Women will benefit by tilting the feet outward with legs further apart, while not needing to squat so low.
Overall, (most) women have less muscle mass than men (though they have additional layers in the stomach) and a higher percentage of body fat on average. As a result, a well designed female routine focuses less on bulking up, than toning and achieving flexibility. Women are more likely to incur injuries by lifting too much, too soon as they build up.
Men are somewhat less flexible on average, partly due to natural differences in joints, partly owing to attitude. Men tend more often than women to short change their warm-up routines, including essential stretching exercises.
All these differences (and many more) are a matter of degree, of course. Both men and women can benefit by adapting some aspects of the routines of the opposite sex.
Women are more likely to be more open to trying something new or different, such as yoga or pilates. These focus more on being aware of different body parts, in order to maximize flexibility and overall fitness. They focus very little on achieving strength, though this is often (in part) a consequence of a good yoga or pilates routine.
For example, several yoga routines focus on balance. But balance is optimized when all the muscles help support the joints and skeleton at correct angles in a dynamic way. That is both the cause and consequence of improved strength in the muscles that help achieve that balance.
Pilates, in particular, is a coordinated system for achieving better strength and posture and breathing by using one to aid the other. It concentrates more on controlling muscle groups than building them.
Both yoga and pilates and many other systems popularized in the West in the last 20 years or so focus on the integration of mind and body, one helping the other. Both systems are helpful as therapy for certain spine and joint problems.
While men and women will continue to lay more importance on some exercise values – and hence routines – than on others, both can benefit by peeking over the fence to see how the other half lives.
