Is your fitness program failing to achieve your desired results? If it doesn’t combine the Four Elements of Fitness, you could be out of balance…
Find Your Balance With the Four Elements of Fitness
Your body is the result of your choices. Your particular motivation is likely to dictate your workout choice.
What are your fitness goals?
- Lose weight?
- Feel the endorphin rush?
- Check out the latest fitness craze?
Whatever motivates you to exercise is great! But keep in mind — there are four key elements of fitness that should guide your routine.
And these four elements play an important role in helping you…
- Look better
- Feel better
- Perform better (in your everyday life)
- Counteract the aging process
In turn, the four elements provide the cornerstones of peak physical fitness and cutting edge health prevention. But if you’re missing an element, your workout is out of balance. And so too is your overall fitness.
— The Four Elements of Fitness —
Aerobic Fitness
This is also known as cardiovascular fitness. Specifically, it refers to your heart and cardiovascular system’s delivery of oxygen and energy to the rest of your body. And it’s important to note: this function can decline with age if you ignore aerobic exercise.
Aerobic training improves your heart’s function through workouts that keep your heart rate elevated for a sustained period of time.
Strength
Muscle strength is important in so many facets of your daily life. Resistance or weight-bearing exercises are key to increasing your physical strength. Which in turn enables you to better handle the physical demands of everyday life.
This is especially important as you age. Without proper training, you’re destined to lose muscle and bone mass in your latter years. Which causes your physical strength to decline late in life.
Flexibility
Flexibility training offers huge benefits to your physical body…
- It lengthens your muscles
- Improves your range of motion
- Keeps your body running smoothly a
- And reduces your risk of injury
Every fitness regimen MUST include flexibility exercises, with movements that stretch your muscles.
Stability and Balance
Stability refers to your body’s ability to hold itself in alignment. And your stability depends on the strength of your core muscles. Specifically in your core muscles’ efforts to support your upper body and protect your back.
Stability and core strength also…
- Helps prevent injury
- Improves your posture
- And reduces back pain
Exercises designed to improve your stability and balance are essential to a full-body workout. Unfortunately, this element is the most likely to be missing from your workout routine.
— The Importance of Balance —
Good balance is not just for athletes and gymnasts. Everyone relies on balance to walk, reach for objects on high shelves, and climb stairs.
Good balance also prevents falls and other injuries. Which becomes more common as you age.
Balance and stability training go hand in hand, as both rely heavily on core muscle strength and flexibility.
The best way to improve stability and balance is with exercises that…
- Challenge your balance
- Develop your core strength
- And promoting flexibility
Equipment like a stability ball, a Bosu ball, a foam balance beam, or a trampoline can help you add balance and stability movements to your workout routine.
If balance and stability exercises are missing from your routine, your workout is falling short. And you’re risk of injury will be far greater later in life.
Looking For Balance in Your Fitness Routine?
Start with a personal trainer, like Boba! She can help you improve your stability and balance. Two key building blocks ensuring you reach and maintain peak physical fitness.
Looking For Further Info on This Topic?
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