Walking for Fitness

Walking is a very safe sport because it rarely causes injuries. Running causes injuries frequently because you take both feet off the ground at the same time and land with a tremendous force that can tear muscles and shatter bones. On the other hand, when you walk, you always keep at least one foot on the ground and land with minimal foot strike force.

If you want to walk to become fit, you have to move fast. You should exercise vigorously enough to increase your heart rate at least 20 beats a minute higher than when you rest. That means you will be breathing harder and probably perspiring. There are two ways to increase your walking speed. You can take longer steps or you can move your feet at a faster rate. To lengthen your stride, swivel your hips so you reach out further forward with your feet. This will cause you to twist your body from side to side, which will tend to make you point your toes inward when your feet touch the ground. When you point in you lose distance. Try to point your toes forward with each step.

Fitness

To move your feet at a faster rate, you have to move your arms faster. Every time you move one leg forward, you pull the arm on the same side back and the arm on the other side moves forward. Your legs will only move as fast as you can move your arms. Bend your elbows so you can move your arms faster. The fulcrum of your arm-swing is at your shoulder. The straighter you keep your elbows, the longer it takes your arms to swing forward and back. Bending your elbows shortens the swing and helps you speed up your pace.

Walking for Fitness

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition .

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports -- and the FREE Good Food Book -- at http://www.DrMirkin.com

Fitness Training, Fitness Club

My wife and I have decided that we would like to take advantage of a free trial fitness club membership. We will be able to head to the fitness club as much as we want for the first week. After that, we will be required to come up with the money to pay for a membership. I told my wife that this would be the easiest way for the two of us to determine whether or not we would use a membership. Of course, in the beginning, everyone seems to tell themselves that they would go every day. However, it does not take very long for life to get in the way.

I told my wife that we really need to get serious about our fitness training. However, I do not think that she is too concerned with being overweight. I do not care about the way that my wife looks. However, when she is having a hard time climbing the stairs in our home, it is time to find a solution to the problem. I have noticed myself that I am having hard time breathing and this is definitely not how I want to live my life.

Fitness

I told my wife that I think we are going to have to check with a personal trainer. After all, I do not think that we would use the gym membership if we did not have someone standing over us at all times making sure that we were being held accountable for our actions. My wife and I have a bad habit of eating whatever it is that we would like to eat. It seems to me as if the two of us simply black out whenever we have food in front of our faces. I always wake up to reality when I am so miserable that I cannot move.

I know that the only way I am going to find success in losing weight is if my wife is willing to do it right alongside me. It is heartbreaking to think that my health depends on another person. However, if my wife suggests that the two of us go out to eat, that is what we do. There are two reasons for this. The first reason is because of the fact that I love to eat out. The second reason for this is because I do not want to make my wife sad. I know that she really appreciates having a date night with me.

Fitness Training, Fitness Club

The two of us were talking and we have decided that we are going to need professional help in order to lose weight as quickly as possible. If someone does not come in and hold the two of us accountable, we will loss our good health because we are so out of shape. I am hoping that the fitness club and consistent fitness training will be a great way to turn our lives around and make everything much better for the two of us. I love my wife and I do not want to have a heart attack and leave her because of my weight.

Your Personal Fitness Regime

Everybody knows that it is important to be fit. Your level of fitness is a major factor in your lifespan, and getting in shape should be a priority. There are plenty of celebrities, whether qualified or not, offering to sell you their latest fitness video or book, and more and more articles in newspapers and magazines about the cost of not having a daily workout; the impact on your health, the social effects of being unfit, and of course the fact that most fashionable clothes don't come in plus sizes. Getting fit should be on your 'to-do' list all year round, and not just a New Year's resolution that doesn't make it past the first few days of January.

It is easy to start a fitness regime, and then run out of enthusiasm. With a busy work schedule, and an equally busy social life, it's a common enough occurrence that people drop out of exercising on the basis that they don't have enough time. The most obvious answer to this, and something that most fitness instructors will suggest, is just to get out of bed a bit earlier, and use that time to exercise. Of course, to some this may seem like a nightmare, and not something to inspire them; nightowls should look for something to do in the evening, perhaps a late workout session at the gym, or installing some home exercise equipment so that you can watch TV as the same time as working out.

Fitness

Not everyone is suited to a traditional fitness regime of steps and 'dancercise'. You might find it rewarding to try other methods to keep fit, such as martial arts. It is not important how you get fit: only the results matter. If you find that you enjoy fencing, for example, then that will extend your enthusiasm for your fitness regime. Doing something that you hate, or which you feel stupid doing, won't last very long.

Keep your enthusiasm up in other ways, by working out to favourite tracks, or by keeping a log of how well you've done. You can work out with a friend and have a competition; or you can set yourself goals in your fitness regime, and reward yourself when you achieve them.

Fitness should be something that you work towards for all of your life, and a daily exercise routine will certainly help you achieve that goal. Even if your exercising consists of a short run everyday, and you never end up with a full six-pack, that does not matter. Fitness is not about getting the perfect body, it is about a general physical state where you feel more energetic, and you feel good about the way your body looks and works.

Your Personal Fitness Regime

Free Fitness and Exercise Tips http://free-fitness-exercise-tips.com - lots of information to keep you fit, healthy and help you to get regular exercise.

How To Jump Rope For Health and Fitness

Rope skipping is an excellent cardiovascular exercise
according to the U.S. Olympic Committee Sports Medicine
Council. It is far less hard on the muscles and bones than
jogging.

While running or jogging, each foot absorbs up to 5 times
the body weight from the force of the impact as the foot
hits the ground. This force of hitting the ground can cause
damage to the feet, ankles, hips and knees. But in rope
skipping, the shock of hitting the ground is absorbed by
both feet allowing the calf muscles to control and absorb
the impact.

Fitness

According to the American College of Sports Medicine,
skipping rope is among the activities it recommends for
aerobic conditioning. In order to improve heart and lung
health, it must be performed 3 to 5 times per week for 12 to
20 minutes an hour, and at an intensity that will get the
heart rate into training range.

To find your training range subtract your age from 220.
Multiply that figure by .9 to get the high range. Multiply
by .6 to get low range. With this formula a person 25 years
old must keep their aerobic heart pulse between 117 and 176
to be gaining benefit. Aerobic benefits do not diminish or
decline with training as in other aerobic activities.

From an energy standpoint, jumping rope at about 130
revolutions per minute is similar to running at 6 miles per
hour or cycling 12 miles per hour. Just 10 minutes of rope
skipping is equivalent to a one-mile run.

When choosing a rope, hold the rope and stand with your feet
on the middle. If the length is correct, the handles should
just reach your armpits. Handles should be thick and
comfortable.

Look for a cushioned surface to jump on. A large
rectangular carpet remnant is ideal. Hard surfaces like
concrete should be avoided.

Choose well-cushioned athletic footwear just as you would
for walking or running.

Start slow by gradually increasing session time over 2 to 3
weeks to let your leg muscles get accustomed to the extra
exercise.

Many adults give up rope jumping because they are
uncoordinated and miss too many steps. But this improves
with time and practice.

More information on jump ropes may be found at:

http://www.apluswriting.net/diettips/fitnessequipment.htm

------------------------------------------------------

REQUIREMENTS FOR REPRINT: You have permission to publish
this article free of charge in your e-zine, newsletter,
ebook, print publication or on your website ONLY if it
remains unchanged and you include the copyright and author
information (Resource Box) at the end. You may not use
this article in any unsolicited commercial email (spam).

You may retrieve this article by:

Autoresponder: jumprope@getresponse.com

Website: http://www.apluswriting.net/articles/jumprope.txt

Words: 386 including resource box

Copyright: 2005 Marilyn Pokorney

Please leave the resource box intact with an active link,
and send a courtesy copy of the publication in which the
article appears to: marilynp@nctc.net

How To Jump Rope For Health and Fitness

Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment. Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading. Website: http://www.apluswriting.net

Seven Fitness Tips

We all know that our minds and bodies are inexorably linked. To maintain optimum health we need to spend a reasonable amount of time each day focused on our physical and mental well-being.

What follows are seven fitness tips that you can use to strengthen your body which in turn will help strengthen your mind.

Fitness

1) Drink More Water

Most people simply do not drink enough water on a daily basis. Consequently, they go through the day feeling a bit dehydrated. The amount of water that you should drink will vary with factors such as the amount of activity that you are doing and the humidity. Aim to drink at least eight glasses of water per day and, preferably, put a squeeze of lemon juice into some of the glasses.

Organs such as the kidneys and liver need plenty of water to function correctly and all the other organs need it too. Other advantages of drinking water are that it can improve the skin tone and act as an appetite suppressant if you're trying to lose weight.

2) Stretch Your Arms And Legs

Do not allow yourself to remain seated for excessively long periods of time. This is especially true if you work in an office environment. Deep vein thrombosis, a potentially fatal condition, can arise if one doesn't make an effort to stretch out at various times during the day. There is a growing tendency to work at desks standing up. Do this if you can, otherwise stand up and stretch and walk around a bit at intervals during your working day.

3) Develop A Cardiovascular Fitness Routine

Any type of aerobic cardiovascular exercise that is done for at least 30 minutes several times per week will do wonders for the strength and vitality of your heart. This type of exercise will also help you improve your lung capacity. It should also be noted that this type of exercise releases endorphins within the brain which really help your body heal and feel great. Most fitness tips that suggest cardiovascular exercise recommend you speak to a doctor first. That makes sense.

4) Boost Your Vitamin & Mineral Intake

It is very important that your body is given the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that it needs to function in an optimal manner on a daily basis. Therefore, try to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. This is an all natural way to boost your natural vitamin and mineral intake.

5) Start Getting More Sleep

Some recent studies have concluded that people who get inadequate amounts of sleep harm themselves in a way that few fully realize. Your body really does need to rest in order for cell rejuvenation to take place and for your conscious mind to have an opportunity to rest and refresh itself.

6) Consider Getting A Professional Massage

Few fitness tips ever talk about the benefits of massage therapy but, if you can afford to have a professional massage twice per week, it'll be a wonderful experience! Not only will this help improve the circulation of blood throughout your body, but it will dramatically reduce the amount of tension and stress that builds up in your muscles.

7) Don't Overdo It

You need to set realistic boundaries for yourself when you are starting out and build up the amount of exercise that you do as your stamina increases.

Conclusion

It is vital for our physical and mental well-being to have a balanced life and these seven fitness tips will be a great start for getting and keeping fit.

They can all be quickly and easily adopted into a busy lifestyle without taking up too much time and can then be the foundation on which to build a more strenuous program.

Seven Fitness Tips

Roy Savery is Author of "The Successful Living Handbook" in which he describes the principles that helped him to become a top salesman, member of the Million Dollar Round Table, an International speaker, an athlete and a Personal Development Coach.

To find out more about improving self-esteem visit his Blog, http://roysavery.com/ where you can sign up for his Newsletter.

You can find out more about "The Successful Living Handbook" at http://www.successfullivinghandbook.info/.

Why Fitness Is Important for Teens

With the increasing focus on childhood obesity, the health of children and teenagers is under the media spotlight, and arguably, there needs to be more of an understanding of how to encourage teenagers to get fit. Statistics suggest teenagers spend nearly 30 hours every week watching television and eating fatty junk foods. In terms of exercise, there is very little activity amongst teens. There are so many who do not engage in physical activities that it is probably not surprising that obesity rates are up. Many teens can even get away with not doing PE in school later on in their academic life. It is important, therefore, to highlight the importance of fitness for teens in an engaging way.

Physical fitness is integral as it strengthens the body against illness, makes muscles stronger and pumps blood to the heart more frequently. It also prevents fatigue and should make teens more agile. Most teens lack physical activity which has a major affect on their metabolism. If you are stuck inside all day it is more than likely you will pass the time by watching television, playing games and eating. This results in obesity and as soon as the body becomes bigger, they become more dependent on this and it can affect academic performance and lifestyle as well as overall fitness. More so, teens with heavier bodies are more likely to develop diabetes, heart problems and arthritis.

Fitness

Fitness can help teens. They can take up sports or join school or university sports clubs or sports teams. This can help with self-worth, making friends and team and leadership skills. They can also get involved with things like school sports days to help get fitter and more active. Swimming is important and many gyms, health clubs and leisure centres provide swimming classes and competitions, as do schools. Sports like football and cricket are also popular amongst teenagers and even playing these at lunch times allows for better fitness. It is also a group activity and a desire to work in a team and an appetite for winning can spur teens on to better fitness through sport.

Teens can also shape their own fitness. They can walk to school or college and if they have a job can walk or cycle back and forth from there and this helps cardiovascular muscle strength in their bodies. It will also burn off any lingering calories their body is carrying. There are cycling clubs for teens to join. With the Olympics not far off, cycling could provide an aspiration for the future if teenagers get into the sport. It's a great incentive to take greater care with their health.

Some teens care about their bodies and care, sometimes too much, about the way they look. A lot of teens join gyms to build up their bodies and prepare them for later life and generally make them feel better about themselves. If they combine this with a balanced diet it can go a long way to prevent obesity. It is a three-way responsibility here: of the parent, of the school and of the teenagers themselves.

Fitness for teens is emphasised as important more and more in the modern world. By getting involved in sport, focusing on physical fitness, getting involved with a local team, going cycling or swimming, and walking more to and from places, these obesity numbers can be severely reduced. If not, then problems may persist later on in life and this may have serious effects on the future health of the current teenage generation. That is why health and exercise for teens needs to be more greatly highlighted.

Why Fitness Is Important for Teens

Esporta health club and gym - Whether you are looking to get fit and lose weight in the gym, exercise with a personal trainer, relax or unwind with your family, treat yourself to a Spa Day or meet and socialise with like-minded people then Esporta have the facilities to match.

Exercise, Health and Fitness With Vibration Plate Technology

What is in Spotlight these days?

Well, it is none other than keeping healthy and of course, to stay in Shape. It has to be paid attention and we need to continually remind ourselves about its importance in our life. We've heard over and over again that a well balanced diet and good exercise program are the building blocks of good health. So why don't more people strive to achieve both? Our body is having a highly complex mechanism and it is amazing that it operates as well as it does.

Fitness

What - is health? Something that describes how your body feels. According to the World Health Organization, "health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

Why - is having health and fitness important? For the soundness of the body, freedom from disease or abnormality, and attaining the condition of optimal well-being.

How - does it relate to the function and healing of the body?

Unfortunately, no one is perfect here. Most of us are part of that human race who is not having a perfect body. Some people have defects that can turn out to be very serious and one such is rise in the obesity level. Fortunately, this can be combated with a technology that is not new but has changed the concept of health and fitness for many. And this technology is of vibration plate.

Vibration Plate benefits us in many ways. They have taken the world by storm. Not only are they wonderful for athletes but also for use in fitness enthusiasts and rehabilitation. It is generally because the vibration does most of the work for us and our bodies simply respond. This technology has changed the face of fitness. This not only helps our body parts work well and works together but to continue to operate effectively. Our body is made as such to be used in an effectuate manner. Our heart needs to pump fast once in a while to keep its muscle tone. Our lungs need exercise to function the way they were made to function. Exercising and using the body is important to maintaining our health. It's versatility lies in fact that it's capable of meeting different needs of family members in a home.

What are you waiting for, Go and Get the Technology for a healthy life.

Exercise, Health and Fitness With Vibration Plate Technology

Jessica Whatson is an author of this article. For more information about fitness training, health and fitness, please follow this link fitness equipment Australia.

The Importance Of Fitness In Maintaining A Healthy Lifestyle

Overall good health comes from strict and consistent attention to what we put in our bodies and what we do to maintain our physical fitness. When it comes to our diet, we all understand the important elements of maintaining health; a commitment to eating natural, whole foods and avoiding foods high in fat and grease. But physical fitness, more than anything, helps protect our bodies from a bevy of illness and disease and keeps us strong and healthy well into the future.

An effective fitness routine includes exercise that works with your current health and lifestyle. If you are currently sedentary, begin a fitness routine very slowly - incorporating a small amount of exercise into your daily schedule and increasing it as your strength and conditioning increase. Walking is a wonderful exercise that positively impacts all areas of your body and can be easily tackled by fitness beginners. Begin walking a little bit each day and increase your speed and distance as you feel stronger.

Fitness

For a more high intensity cardiovascular fitness routine, Tae-Bo, kickboxing, dance workouts, and high impact aerobic routines can get your heart pumping as well as burn fat and build muscle. These fitness programs are often offered in class settings in local gyms where you can enjoy the company of other people who are working towards similar fitness goals.

In combination with cardiovascular work, a proper fitness routine should also include weight training that works to speed the metabolism and build muscle. Weight training should not be entered into without learning proper technique; if you are a beginner it is wise to work with a professional trainer who can instruct you on technique and pacing: doing so on your own, without the necessary skills, can result in injury and can cause a delay in reaching your fitness goals.

Finally, it is important to integrate a comprehensive stretching routine - such as Pilates or yoga - into your fitness routine. Such programs will increase flexibility and strengthen your body's core - making for strong abdominals and back.

If the gym isn't your fitness scene, you can accomplish many of the same goals from the privacy and comfort of your own home. The market welcomes a bevy of fitness videos each and every year - all offering the latest craze in exercise.

A fitness program can not be avoided as an element in overall health. But the commitment to incorporating such fitness into your daily routine will reward you with strength and vitality throughout your life.

The Importance Of Fitness In Maintaining A Healthy Lifestyle

For easy to understand, in depth information about fitness visit our ezGuide 2 Fitness.

The Benefits of Fitness Exercise Bikes

Why get one at all?

Exercise bikes come in all varieties and are made to serve one purpose - creating a happier, healthier you. A typical exercise bike usually consists of resistance that you can adjust to suit your comfort level. This is a very good thing to have on an exercise bike because the more you exercise, the stronger you will become. Exercise bikes are not only great for the obvious reasons, they can also be much more comfortable for some and are made to suit everyone's specific training needs.

Fitness

If you are considering taking up cardiovascular training, riding a fitness bike should be one of the first choices that you make. Most gyms carry fitness bikes and they are easy to use. When using a fitness bike, you are performing an exercise that increases your blood flow and speeds up your heart rate, this in turn will help your metabolism raise and you will be able to burn more fat. A recommended cardiovascular training session on an exercise fitness bike is about 30 minutes a day, for 6 days a week. It really is not much considering the benefit that it has on your overall cardio health.

Making your Selection

Choosing an exercise fitness bike for your cardiovascular training is smart. By sitting, you are taking the pressure off of your knees and back, two very precious body parts that are crucial daily activities. The knees and back are the two body parts that need to be especially cared for, especially if you have experienced injury in either one of them. This is a great way of exercise for those with rheumatoid arthritis of the knees. Oftentimes running can cause injury to the knees, causing the person who was injured to have to resort to a fitness bike. The main thing is that you can still perform a great cardio workout while caring for those sensitive body parts.

The Obvious Benefits

Another great benefit of using an exercise bike is that it improves your leg strength. Adding resistance to your bike can give you a more intense cardiovascular workout and very strong legs. The quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves usually come out looking fantastic with just a few weeks of steadily adding resistance to your workouts. Some people even prefer this as a method to their weight training workouts for increasing their leg strength. After a small amount of time, you reap the benefits of having great leg muscles.

Riding an exercise fitness bike increases your stamina. Any kind of exercise that involves the heart rate being raised steadily, resistance, and sweating is going to do wonders for your fitness stamina. At first, you might only be able to perform three 20-minute workouts per week, but in a short amount of time, (say about a month or two at best) you will find yourself doing longer cardiovascular workouts on your fitness bike at higher resistance levels.

What are you waiting for?

There is nothing bad that can be said about owning an exercise fitness bike except for the fact that not everyone has one. You can usually find them at your local gym if you do not own one, or you may purchase them online or at a local store. Most people that have them do not use them, but they really should. The benefits that an exercise bike brings to your health are well worth it and everlasting.

The Benefits of Fitness Exercise Bikes

When you start a regimen that includes a 5x5 Workout, you will find that you will be able to gain the muscle you desire. Don't let the word stronglifts scare you away from a program that will give you the sculpted body and 6-pack abs you have been dreaming about.

How to Determine Your Fitness Level

If you haven't been exercising regularly, it's useful to determine your current level of health and fitness before you take off running (or walking). If you are under 35 and have no health problems that might interfere, you can begin an exercise program this minute. However, if you are over 35, have health problems, or have been sedentary for years, check in with your physician before beginning an exercise program. Your doctor will first applaud your new resolution. Then after you take a bow, he or she might want to perform a few tests, such as a blood-pressure check, and discuss any limitations you might have. After you've got the go-ahead, you can do some tests of your own to pinpoint where you need to focus your fitness efforts.

Determining Your Fitness Level

Fitness

These are the four basic components you need to evaluate to determine your fitness level:

Cardiovascular (aerobic) fitness How effectively do your heart and lungs deliver blood and oxygen throughout your body? Do you have the stamina to do the activities you enjoy?

Muscle strength How strong are your muscles? How well will they protect your joints and bones and let you perform daily tasks as you age?

Flexibility How flexible are you? The range of motion of your joints decreases as you age, or when you become sedentary, and this eventually can limit everyday abilities such as bending or reaching. A regular stretching program can keep your muscles loose and your joints flexible.

Body composition What percentage of your weight is fat? Do you carry too much body fat compared to lean tissue? Does the amount of body fat interfere with your health, activities, or quality of life?

Fitness testing is useful both before beginning your personal exercise program and to evaluate your progress. When you see that you are inching closer to your fitness goals, you stay motivated. Repeat your fitness tests every two to three months to track fitness gains and increase your motivation.

Fitness Testing Information Online

There are tests that you can do in the privacy of your own home to evaluate these four elements of fitness. However, be aware that your results are only general indications of your fitness level. You might not be doing the test exactly right, or there might be errors in the calculation of results. Also, the online test might not take into account other variables, such as whether you're exercising with asthma, rehabilitating from a back injury, or doing physical work in your daily life. So, use the fitness tests, but take them as indicators, not gospel.

How to Determine Your Fitness Level

Taobao Eva has been writing articles online now for quite a while. He writes about many subjects and you can check out his latest website on Greenmountain Coffee [http://www.greenmountainkcups.org.ru] and the Green Mountain Roasters [http://www.greenmountainkcups.org.ru/2009/green-mountain-roasters.html].

Components of Fitness

Fitness, itself, is composed of four different elements: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular fitness, flexibility, and body composition.

Cardiorespiratory endurance, or aerobic fitness, relates to the body's capacity to absorb, transport, and use oxygen during work or exercise. As the body is trained to endure a greater cardiovascular workload, the heart and lungs become stronger thereby increasing an individual's endurance. A marathon runner would be a prime example of an athlete with a high level of aerobic conditioning.

Fitness

Muscular fitness can be best described as a balance of strength and endurance. Muscular strength is the body's ability to generate force at a given speed of movement. Muscular endurance refers to the ability of the body to repeat movements and resist muscular fatigue. A better way to distinguish between muscular strength and endurance would to imagine lifting a fifty-pound weight just one time-strength-versus lifting a five-pound weight ten times-endurance.

Flexibility is often the most overlooked component of physical fitness. Flexibility is the range of motion around a joint or a group of joints. Range of motion is limited primarily by the amount of soft tissue, including muscle and the joint capsule, surrounding the joint. A gymnast would rely on his or her flexibility as well as strength to complete a strenuous tumbling routine without injury.

Body composition is the fourth and final component of fitness. There are two distinct elements with body composition: fat mass and lean body mass. Fat mass, as it implies, is the percentage of fat, both essential and nonessential, that makes up an individual's body. Essential fat can be found in bone marrow, nerve tissue and in various internal organs.Woman have a significantly greater percentage of essential body fat, around 12 percent, than men, around 4 percent, due to the demands of child bearing. Nonessential fat can be found subcutaneously, or beneath the skin, and is primarily used for excess body fat storage. "Based on data from physically active young adults, it would be desirable . . . to strive for a body fat content of 15% for men (certainly less than 20%) and about 25% for women (less than 30%)" (McArdle et. al. 1996, 570). Lean mass, on the other hand, is comprised of everything in the human body other than fat, such as muscle mass, bone mass, and the weight of the internal organs. An ideal body composition, therefore, would be an individual possessing a healthy body fat percentage: 15-20 percent for men and 25-30 percent for women.

These four components are essential for maintaining optimal health and fitness while preventing injury and muscular imbalances. Imagine a long-distance runner who spends her training time running without any regard for strengthening or stretching.While her cardiorespiratory endurance and body composition are favorable, she neglects her muscular strength and flexibility and can possibly set herself up for serious injury in the future. Along similar lines, imagine an amateur bodybuilder who spends a large amount of time lifting weights and increasing muscle mass, but who neglects his cardiovascular health and flexibility. He, too, increases his chance of injury by ignoring two very important components of fitness.

While it is ideal to have a balance of cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and a favorable body composition, it is not something that is easily attainable. Good health takes work, but it does not have to resemble work.

Components of Fitness

For more information on Fitness, visit my Fitness Guide here.

Calories Burned on an Elliptical Trainer

If you're trying to choose between an elliptical trainer and another piece of exercise equipment like a treadmill or an exercise bike, one of the most popular questions is

'How many calories can I burn with an elliptical trainer?'

Fitness

You want to get the most bang for your exercise buck - that's understandable. Here are some calories burned estimates for elliptical workouts - and several tips to burn more calories with your elliptical trainer!

General Estimates of Calories Burned with An Elliptical Trainer:

- 150 pound woman, 30 minutes of elliptical exercise: 387 calories

- 180 pound man, 30 minutes of elliptical exercise: 464 - 500 calories

- 120 pound woman, 30 minutes of elliptical exercise: 310 calories

General Estimates of Calories Burned (According To Elliptical Manufacturers)

- Elliptical manufacturers claim you can burn up to 720 calories an hour with an elliptical workout.

Factors that dictate how many calories you burn include:

>> Workout Duration

>> Interval Training

>> Elliptical Tension Settings

>> Body Composition (Muscle to Fat Ratio)

>> State of Cardiovascular system (regular exerciser or new to exercise)

>> Weight

>> Sex

>> Upper Body Arm Usage

Here are several tips to increase your calorie burn with your elliptical trainer:

- Build in Intervals

Most elliptical trainers offer incline and or tension that you can increase or decrease while workout out. Try building in 30 second incline intervals every couple of minutes to your workout.

This will not only push your body further and burn more calories during your workout - but it can also elevate your calorie burn for up to 24 hours after your workout.

- Use Upper Body Arms

Many ellipticals offer you upper body arm bars that you can use to build your arms muscles into your workout. More muscles worked = more calories burned. If there are no upper body arms, grab a couple of 2 - 5 pounds handweights and swing your arms while striding.

- Take Advantage of the Forward and Backward Directions

Using more muscles (and one you may not have used before) also ups your calorie burn, even after your workout. So take advantage of the fact that most ellipticals allow you to go forward and backward. Switch up your routine every few minutes to up your calorie burn.

- Break up your Workout

Experts are now telling us that 2 mini-workouts may even be better than 1 long workout as far as calories burned. Why?

Any exercise will temporarily rev up your metabolism - so if you can do 15 - 20 minutes in the morning, and 15 - 20 minutes in the afternoon, your metabolism will stay charged up for a longer time. (If you can't do this, don't worry - remember that a 30 minute workout will still burn more calories than a 15 minute workout!)

So there are some tips to skyrocket your calorie burn on your elliptical. Good luck and have fun blasting those calories!

Calories Burned on an Elliptical Trainer

Kathryn ONeill writes for Elliptical Trainer Reviews offering the latest elliptical brand reviews, ratings and discount links.

For more the latest elliptical best buys, sales and product reviews visit http://www.EllipticalTrainerReview.com

Reprint Rights: Proper Author Credit must be given and all links MUST be Clickable

5 Components of Physical Fitness

While the definition of physical fitness can be a little complex or unclear and the definition of physical fitness can vary, most government health agencies and exercise scientists agree that there are 5 components of physical fitness related to health. These components provide a fairly accurate representation of how fit and healthy the body is as a whole (total or overall fitness). The 5 components are cardiovascular fitness (also referred to as cardio-respiratory endurance or cardiovascular endurance), muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

Let's take a closer look at these components individually.

Fitness

1.) Cardiovascular fitness (or cardio-respiratory endurance or cardiovascular endurance)

Of the 5 components, cardiovascular fitness is the cornerstone that creates the pathway to improving your other fitness levels.

Cardiovascular fitness is the efficiency with which the body (the heart and lungs) delivers oxygen and nutrients to the required working muscles and transports waste products from the cells over a sustained period of time. Or to put it another way, it's the ability of your heart and lungs to work together to provide the necessary oxygen and fuel to your body without quickly reaching a high level of fatigue and tiredness.

In our daily lives, we need cardiovascular fitness to handle the physical tasks and all of the "running around" we do.

A common test of cardiovascular fitness usually involves some type of sustained running. But typical examples of physical activities that relate to cardiovascular fitness are jogging, swimming, cycling, brisk or speed walking and any type of aerobic exercises. Aerobic exercise is the best way to improve cardiovascular fitness.

2.) Muscular strength

Muscular strength is the maximum amount of force (weight or heavy resistance) a muscle or muscle group can generate in a single effort to the point that no more repetitions can be done without rest. Muscular strength is quite the opposite of cardiovascular fitness in regards to the fact that cardiovascular fitness is measured over a certain period of time. While on the other hand, muscular strength is measured in one repetition.

In our daily lives, we need modest levels of strength to be able to perform everyday physical tasks like lifting, moving, carrying, etc.

A common test to measure upper body strength is some type of weightlifting exercise, such as the bench press. Anaerobic weightlifting exercises like the bench press, leg press, shoulder press, or bicep curls are examples of the best ways to improve muscular strength.

3.) Muscular endurance

Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to perform repeated movements (or to hold a particular position) with less than maximum force for an extended period of time or until muscular fatigue. Or, to put it simplistically, it's how long your muscles can do something before getting too exhausted to finish.

Be careful not to confuse muscular endurance with muscular strength. While they can work together, they are definitely not the same. For many athletes, there may be a need to distinguish between muscular strength and muscular endurance. But for everyday people who want to easily perform their daily routines, are trying to stay healthy and fit, and just want to enjoy physical activities like hiking, biking, or just playing in the park with their children, muscular endurance plays a major role in fitness.

Common testing for muscular endurance can be dynamic (the ability to repeat contractions) or static (the ability to sustain a contraction). Dynamic tests would be to see how many push-ups or sit-ups, for example, a person can complete in a designated amount of time (e.g. 30 seconds, a minute, or maybe longer). Or, without being timed, the person could do as many repetitions of the exercise as they could until they couldn't do anymore. An example of a static test would be the flexed-arm hang whereby the performer hangs on a bar until the designated stopping time or until they become too weak to continue hanging.

Muscular endurance can be improved by both aerobic and anaerobic exercises. Some examples would be biking, step machines and elliptical machines.

4.) Flexibility

Flexibility is the ability to move the joints or any group of joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons through their full, normal range of motion without hindrance, discomfort, or pain.

Flexibility is actually more important to physical fitness than people realize. Not only does flexibility play a big role in performing many daily tasks, but maintaining or even increasing your flexibility is critical to protecting your joints and keeping them healthy. In addition, being flexible contributes to improving your lower back health, reducing the appearance and effects of arthritis, and reducing muscle-tendon injuries.

Not everyone has the same flexibility or flexibility requirements. Your flexibility tells you how limber you are. And, when it comes to testing your flexibility fitness level, the sit-and-reach test is most often used.

Stretching is the best way to improve flexibility. And, most fitness experts recommend a daily routine of static stretches for each joint.

5.) Body composition

Body composition is the percentage of fat in your body compared to your lean body mass (muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, organs, etc.).

Body composition is a better indicator of your overall fitness condition than body weight. So understand that your total body weight or what you see on your bathroom scale does not tell you how much fat or lean body mass (muscle) you have.

Body composition is useful in helping to determine health risks. Therefore, knowing your body composition and how it relates to your overall fitness level is essential. An optimal ratio of fat mass to lean mass is a clear indicator of good fitness.

Your body composition is a consequence of the extent that you perform the other components of physical fitness. In other words, when you improve the other four components, it will have a positive impact on body composition resulting in less body fat. Alternatively, when you have a high body fat content ratio, you are considered overweight or possibly obese. And, it negatively affects the other fitness components as well as your daily performance, your appearance, and your overall health.

There are several methods that can be used to calculate body composition. The best method is underwater weighing. But due to the expense, this isn't practical for the everyday person. Incidentally, if you can go to a university or some other place that is set up to do it, it would be well worth your time to check it out. Therefore, the most common method of determining your body composition is skinfold readings - using skinfold calipers and taking measurements from certain areas of your body.

A regular program involving aerobic exercise and strength training can help you decrease your body fat and increase your muscle mass; and thereby, significantly improving your body composition and general overall health and fitness.

In conclusion, you now know that being fit is not just about being able to bench press a lot of weight, but you also need to know how well you can handle running a mile, for example, and a few other things. The key is that by understanding the 5 components of physical fitness, you'll be better able to assess your fitness level and determine what specific health and fitness goals you'd like to achieve.

5 Components of Physical Fitness

Donald has been writing articles online for nearly 3 years now. His newest interest is in home computing. Visit his website that discusses product information and good deals on HP color laser printers and HP laser printers.