There are many ways to achieve and maintain fitness, but not every way is suitable for every person. Younger people who are relatively fit to start with can get away with the more energetic kinds of group fitness training, such as Body Pump, Body Attack and other Les Mills inspired fitness training routines, but those who are very overweight or unfit should not jump in at the deep end. It is wiser to start off with something that is easier otherwise you’ll risk injury that could put you out of getting fit for months.
If you are young and healthy but not fit, start off slowly and gradually increase your regime whatever you choose. This is where the services of an experienced personal trainer can come in handy. They should be able to draw up a plan for getting you fit without any injuries. They can keep an eye on you to ensure you do the exercises properly and make sure you don’t overdo it. They will also tell you when it is safe to increase your efforts to get even more fit.
Older people really do need to take up some form of exercise to keep in good shape, but if you have any health issues you should seek the okay from your doctor first. People with arthritis should avoid any kind of exercise that will jar their joints including running or jogging. They are better off exercising with swimming, aqua aerobics, cycling or walking. They should exercise in a way that stretches their joints carefully to increase their range of movement.
Some people find yoga or Pilates good for fitness, although they don’t exercise all the muscles in the body. Pilates especially doesn’t do much for the legs, but it is a good way to get core strength, which is important. But to get maximum fitness you’ll need to add in at least one other form of exercise; perhaps even two, depending on how fit you want to get.
Being fit is sometimes different things to different people. For example, runners are fit – if they run regularly – but they don’t have a lot of muscle like you would find in a wrestler or boxer. To build muscle you need to do more than run. Lifting weights is a good way to build muscle, but if you decide to do that make sure you start off gradually and that you have a healthy heart.
The right kind of fitness training should also be something you like doing. If you hate it you’ll end up making excuses not to do it and it won’t be long before your goal to get or stay fit falls by the wayside. Getting fit can be done without any specific training if you keep active; dancing, swimming and walking are all good ways to get fit.
