The Complete Guide to Fitness: Benefits, Beginner Tips, and Advanced Strategies

 

Fitness and Exercise: Health Benefits, How to Get Started, and How to Get Better

Being fit means enhancing your ability to handle daily tasks, and you don’t have to spend hours at the gym to achieve that.

Many people aim to be fit because fitness is often seen as a key to good health. Being physically fit is associated with a lower risk of chronic illnesses and helps in managing health problems more effectively. It also supports better functionality and mobility throughout life.

In the short term, staying active can enhance your daily life by improving your mood, sharpening your focus, and promoting better sleep. In essence, our bodies are designed for movement, and they function more efficiently when we’re in good shape.

However, it’s important to recognize that fitness can take many forms. For example, the fitness of a ballet dancer is different from that of a bodybuilder, just as a sprinter's fitness differs from that of a gymnast. Fitness doesn’t have a single, defined appearance. In fact, you can’t always judge someone’s fitness level or their habits just by looking at them.

What It Means to Be Fit

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) outlines five key components of physical fitness in their Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans:

**Cardiorespiratory Fitness** is typically assessed by your VO2 max, which reflects your body’s efficiency in taking in and using oxygen. This function is crucial for your overall health and quality of life, according to Abbie Smith-Ryan, PhD, a professor and the director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

**Musculoskeletal Fitness** includes the strength, endurance, and power of your muscles.

**Flexibility** involves how much range of motion your joints have.

**Balance** is your ability to stay upright and steady, helping you avoid falls.

**Speed** refers to how fast you can move.

A well-known peer-reviewed study from 1985 clarified the differences between the terms physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness. It defined physical activity as any bodily movement that results in energy expenditure, while exercise was described as planned and structured physical activity. Physical fitness was defined as a set of attributes that individuals have or develop, which determines their ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness, without excessive fatigue. According to the study, cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, body composition, and flexibility are the key components used to measure fitness.

In practical terms, fitness translates to function, says Dr. Smith-Ryan. For instance, can you carry groceries or walk up stairs without getting winded? Can you run around the backyard with your kids? Can you climb stairs?

Exercise is separate from fitness because exercise refers to the activities you perform to boost your level of fitness

Types of Fitness

Fitness comprises several key elements that are essential for creating a balanced exercise routine. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, as highlighted by HHS, list these core components as crucial to include in your weekly exercise regimen. It’s important to note that different definitions of fitness may also include additional aspects such as endurance, muscular endurance, power, speed, balance, and agility.

Aerobic (Cardiovascular) Exercise

Aerobic exercise forms the core of any fitness regimen, and it's easy to see why. Often referred to as cardiovascular exercise or cardio, this type of activity boosts your heart rate and breathing, thereby improving your cardiorespiratory fitness, as noted by the American Heart Association.

Examples of aerobic exercise include brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming, fitness classes such as kickboxing, tennis, dancing, yard work, and jumping rope, according to the Physical Activity Guidelines.

Strength Training

Strength training is crucial for enhancing mobility and overall function, especially as you age. Robert Sallis, MD, a family medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente in Fontana, California, and chairman of the Exercise Is Medicine initiative with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), notes that muscle mass decreases with age, which can significantly affect quality of life. Strength exercises help build muscle and bone, and having more muscle can protect against falls and fractures in later years.

The ACSM defines strength or resistance training as exercises aimed at improving muscular fitness by working a muscle or muscle group against some form of external resistance. Activities that fit this description include lifting weights, using resistance bands or your body weight, carrying heavy objects, and even engaging in strenuous gardening, according to the Physical Activity Guidelines from HHS.

Enhancing Flexibility and Mobility

Flexibility and mobility are key elements of healthy movement, according to the International Sports Sciences Association, but they are distinct concepts. Flexibility is the capacity of tendons, muscles, and ligaments to stretch, whereas mobility refers to the ability of a joint to move through its full range of motion.

The Physical Activity Guidelines from HHS do not provide specific recommendations for the duration of activities aimed at improving flexibility or mobility, such as stretching, and the benefits of these activities are not well-documented due to a lack of research. Nonetheless, these guidelines highlight that flexibility exercises play a significant role in physical fitness.

Additionally, the guidelines advise that older adults include balance training in their regular exercise routine. Evidence shows that incorporating balance exercises can greatly reduce the risk of falls among older adults, which helps prevent serious and potentially debilitating injuries.

Rest and Recovery

Incorporating rest and recovery days into your routine is crucial for allowing your body to heal from the stress exerted on muscles during exercise. Exercise places a natural strain on your muscles and body, and the process of recovery is what leads to increased strength and fitness. It is important to give your body sufficient rest after a workout to facilitate this healing process.

On recovery days, you might choose complete rest or engage in low-intensity, low-impact activities such as walking or gentle yoga. Dr. Sallis suggests incorporating some form of activity each day, like a brief 10-minute outdoor walk.

The aim of rest and recovery days is not to be entirely inactive but to avoid overexertion. The focus is on minimizing strenuous or challenging physical activity, allowing your body to recuperate effectively.

Health Benefits of Exercise

Enhanced fitness plays a crucial role in significantly reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer. As Grayson Wickham, DPT, CSCS, founder of Movement Vault in New York City, puts it, fitness is essential for preventing almost any type of disease.

In 2007, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) joined forces with the American Medical Association to launch the Exercise Is Medicine initiative. This program aims to incorporate physical activity evaluations into standard medical care and to provide exercise resources for individuals of all fitness levels. The initiative’s website emphasizes that the benefits of physical activity are well-established and can be as effective as pharmaceuticals in preventing and treating a wide range of chronic diseases and conditions.

Here’s a summary of those benefits:

Exercise Boosts Your Mood

Research indicates that regular exercise serves as a protective measure against depression and anxiety. Additionally, studies suggest that exercise can help manage and treat depression symptoms. According to scientific articles, exercise may reduce inflammation, which is often elevated in individuals with depression. Furthermore, physical activity might lead to beneficial changes in the brain, contributing to its positive effects on mental health.

Exercise Is Good for Sleep

Regular exercise can contribute to more restful sleep. A review of 34 studies found that 29 of them reported improved sleep quality and longer sleep durations associated with exercise. Exercise may help regulate your body’s internal clock, promoting alertness and sleepiness at the right times. It can also induce chemical changes in the brain that support sleep and alleviate pre-sleep anxiety.

However, it’s important to note that high-intensity exercise performed too close to bedtime, typically within one or two hours, may hinder sleep for some people. It is advisable to schedule intense workouts earlier in the day to avoid this issue.

Exercise Promotes Long-Term Health

Exercise is known to enhance brain and bone health, maintain muscle mass to prevent frailty with age, boost sexual health, improve gastrointestinal function, and lower the risk of various diseases, including cancer and stroke. Research involving over 116,000 adults revealed that engaging in the recommended 150 to 300 minutes of physical activity each week reduced the risk of death from any cause by 19 percent.

Fitness Helps You Manage Chronic Disease

Exercise supports overall bodily function and can help manage various chronic health issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), physical activity is beneficial for conditions such as osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and for those recovering from strokes or cancer. Exercise can alleviate pain, improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control, enhance mobility, boost heart health, reduce the risk of other chronic diseases, and contribute to mental well-being.

For those with chronic conditions looking to become more active, starting with a walking routine is often a safe choice. Dr. Sallis notes that most people do not need to get their doctor’s approval to start walking, unless advised otherwise by their physician. 

He emphasizes that physical activity should be viewed as a standard practice, and one should seek clearance from a doctor only if advised not to exercise. However, if you experience severe shortness of breath, chest pain, or any other concerning symptoms, you should contact your doctor.

How Much Exercise Do You Need?

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the minimum amount of exercise needed for good health is either 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, like brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, such as jogging or running. You can also mix moderate and vigorous activities as long as you spread them out over at least two days each week.

In addition, it's recommended to engage in muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week, focusing on all major muscle groups, including the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms.

Currently, there are no specific recommendations for flexibility or mobility work from HHS, but older adults should include balance training in their weekly exercise routine.

Increasing physical activity beyond the minimum can lead to even greater health benefits, especially up to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, after which additional benefits may diminish. While these basic fitness guidelines are sufficient for maintaining good long-term health, they may not meet specific fitness goals, such as training for a marathon, which requires significantly more exercise.

It's important to note that excessive exercise can put undue stress on the body and potentially lead to negative health effects. Research is ongoing to determine the upper limits of exercise, but current evidence suggests that extreme exercise amounts may be several times greater than the recommended weekly minimums.

What to Eat Before, During, and After Exercise

Fueling your body with adequate and nutritious foods is crucial for optimizing exercise performance and recovery.

Before your workout, pay attention to your body's hunger signals, especially if you're exercising soon after waking up, advises Jackie Dikos, RDN, a sports dietitian from Westfield, Indiana, and author of *Finish Line Fueling*. If you had a substantial or late dinner the night before, you might not need anything before your workout. However, if you have a demanding exercise session planned and feel hungry, a small snack could be beneficial.

Opt for easily digestible carbohydrates like a banana or a bit of cereal shortly before your workout. Alternatively, a mix of carbs and protein, such as toast with nut butter, consumed about 30 minutes before exercising can provide the energy you need. If you’ve recently had a meal, you might be able to skip the pre-workout snack.

During your workout, shorter sessions typically don’t need mid-exercise fueling. However, for longer endurance exercises, it's advised to consume 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour after the first 60 minutes, as recommended by the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Sports drinks can be a suitable option for this.

After your workout, a low- to moderate-intensity activity like a 45-minute brisk walk usually doesn’t require immediate refueling, especially if your next meal is soon. However, following a high-intensity workout or if you have another workout later in the day or the next day, your body will need replenishment. In such cases, Dikos suggests consuming half a gram of carbohydrates per pound of body weight along with 10 to 20 grams of protein.

Tips for Getting Started and Staying Motivated to Exercise

Starting and maintaining an exercise routine can be challenging, but here are some effective strategies to help:

- **Break It Up:** Modern guidelines suggest that short bursts of activity, known as "exercise snacks," contribute to your weekly goals as long as they are of sufficient intensity. Whether it's a quick walk, a few flights of stairs, or some desk squats, these mini sessions add up and offer health benefits, says Sallis.

- **Increase Slowly:** Diving into an intense exercise regime too quickly can lead to burnout and injury. Sallis advises starting at a comfortable level and gradually increasing the duration and intensity over weeks or months. Utilizing apps, small group training, or working with a personal trainer can assist with this gradual progression.

- **Do ‘Non’-Exercise Exercise:** Everyday activities like playing with your kids, cleaning, gardening, or dancing around the kitchen all count toward your activity goals. Sallis encourages viewing these tasks as opportunities to stay active.

- **Schedule It:** Treat exercise like any important appointment. Finding a consistent time in your daily schedule and adding it to your calendar as a “non-negotiable” commitment can help you stay on track, according to Smith-Ryan.

- **Consider HIIT:** High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be an excellent option for beginners, including those who are sedentary or overweight. HIIT offers the benefits of a traditional workout in a shorter duration, making it time-efficient and potentially reducing injury risk. It can be performed at home without equipment, and a personal trainer can help structure effective HIIT workouts.

- **Phone a Friend:** Exercising with a friend can boost motivation, introduce you to new activities, and help maintain consistency, as noted by the CDC. So grab a workout buddy and get moving together!

What You Should Know About Home Gym Equipment

Exercising at home offers the convenience of avoiding gym commutes and waiting for equipment. You can work out whenever it fits into your schedule.

A positive aspect of the pandemic is the increased availability of online exercise programs, notes Smith-Ryan. Many of these programs require no equipment and can be done with just a small amount of floor space.

For beginners, simple body-weight exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups are effective for building muscle through resistance training. Investing in a yoga or exercise mat can make floor exercises more comfortable. Over time, you might consider adding resistance bands or dumbbells to increase the intensity of your strength training.

Your choice of equipment will depend on your preferences, budget, and available space. Resistance bands are affordable and easy to store, but you can still achieve a great workout with minimal or no equipment and without significant expense.