It was John F. Kennedy who pointed out that physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body but also the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. Here’s your chance to create a physical fitness workout plan that will do the same.

Know the basics

A successful workout plan must include the following five elements:

  1. Aerobic fitness workouts (cardio or endurance activity) that include any physical activity using large muscle groups and increasing your heart rate, for example walking, jogging, biking, swimming, dancing and water aerobics
  2. Strength training (resistance training) at least twice a week to help increase bone and muscle strength, for example lifting weights, using resistance bands or your own body weight when you do pushups, abdominal crunches and leg squats
  3. Core exercises to train and strengthen the muscles in your abdomen, lower back and pelvis (your core) − any exercise that uses the trunk of your body without support, such as abdominal crunches, qualifies as a core workout.
  4. Balance training that prevents falls and fractures and also helps stabilise the core muscles, for example activities such as tai chi where you balance on one foot to promote balance
  5. Flexibility and stretching exercises to improve the range of motion of your joints and promote better posture. Ideally, you should always stretch after your workout when your muscles are warm. Activities such as dancing and yoga promote flexibility.

Getting down to business

The following five steps will help you plan and execute your own healthy body workout plan.

1.    Put pen to paper

Writing your plan down will help you to get mentally and physically ready and organised.

2.    Set your goals

A good starting and reference point is to work out your body mass index (BMI). The formula for this is your weight divided by your height squared (BMI = kg/m2). If your number is between 25 and 29.9 you are overweight, and anything higher than 30 is considered obese. Remember, approximately 1kg of extra weight is equivalent to bearing an extra 3kg to 5kg of force on the joints of the lower body. Calculating your BMI can help you to determine whether you want to maintain your weight, loose a few kilos or need to take drastic action – it gives your body plan focus.

Weight loss or maintenance is but one of the possible goals that you can formulate. You may, for example, want to increase the strength of you upper body or you may strive for a super six pack. If you do a specific sport, such as cycling, the goals of your body plan may be to up your performance over a specific distance.

On the other hand, you may just want to become fairly fit so that you can have enough energy to perform your daily tasks with ease.

3.    Plan your intake

Plan what and when you will eat. The ideal is to have six smaller meals during each day – three meals and three snacks in between. Choose lean meats, whole grains and plenty of fruit and vegetables and try to have a good variety to avoid getting bored with the eating plan and straying. Low GI foods will help you feel fuller for longer and will avoid cravings. Carry your snacks with you to avoid being tempted by unhealthy ones. Also, drink between six and eight glasses of water each day.

4.    Plan your output

Unless there is a very good medical reason, you have to get active to create a healthy body. If you’ve been inactive for a while or have a medical condition, you must consult a doctor before starting an exercise programme.

Plan to do around 30 minutes of physical exercise at least five days of the week. You can alternate three days of aerobic, cardiovascular exercise with two days of toning or weight training. Try low-impact forms of cardio exercise such as walking, swimming and cycling to start off with.

There are many books and home exercise DVDs available if you don’t want to join a gym but, best of all is to try and exercise outside. The revitalising effect of nature has been repeatedly proven by science.

“Fresh air is full of feel-good negative ions, which may boost oxygen flow to the brain,” says Kathleen Hall, PhD, founder of the Stress Institute in Atlanta. “If you can, combine it with exercise, like a brisk walk − activity boosts endorphins and energy.”

5.    Track and record your progress

Keep a workout journal to help plan when and where you will work out each week. Write down what you did and for how long. Also, weigh yourself at regular intervals, weekly or monthly, and again calculate your BMI to see how you are doing. Stay motivated and reward (keep it healthy) yourself when you have reached a goal. Don’t forget to have fun!

Actor Viggo Mortensen sums it up perfectly when he says: “Like most people I can be lazy, so it’s nice to have a goal or deadline or reason to work out. I feel better when I get to exercise, or when I’m outdoors. I like to hike, swim and run, and I love to play soccer.”

 

Sources
Fitness training: elements of a well-rounded routine. Retrieved from: http://www.mayoclinic.org
Graham, L. How to keep your joints healthy. Retrieved from: http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au
Sheperd, P. Happiness and wellbeing. Retrieved from: http://www.trans4mind.com
www.healthyfoodguide.com.au
www.livestrong.com
www.netdoctor.co.uk
www.sfwmag.com

 

Revised by M van Os