Lifestyle
New Year, New Goals!
By
Jan 14, 2012 - 9:24:23 AM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - This year as in the past, health & fitness still ranks in the number one category of resolutions and year- round goals, so I'd like to suggest that we review our Health & Fitness goals (What else would I suggest?) in order to work on them in the year ahead. While losing weight is the number one resolution, exercising more makes it to the top five. I believe and most experts agree that an exercise program is vital to the weight management equation (I credit my exercise program to making the difference in my permanent weight loss!), so this week let's look at what makes a well -balanced fitness program in order to set some goals (old or new, that is!).

We'll begin by reviewing the components of fitness so that we can decide what areas we need to improve and focus on most in this new year. Then we can set about making goals, and designing a well rounded routine. But what exactly does being fit mean? Fitness has several components, and when we increase our fitness, let's not forget that we increase our health too!

The Components of Fitness:

Cardiovascular Fitness: This can be estimated by a sub-maximal-stress test at our local gym, or measured by a stress test in a doctor's office. It determines how efficiently our lungs and heart deliver oxygen to the cells of our body. The higher the efficiency, the more workload we can produce. Example, can we walk up a flight of stairs without losing our breath, or without our legs getting tired? Can't? Most likely, if we can't, our fitness level isn't as high as someone who can. Another indicator is having a low resting heart rate, and normal blood pressure. Usually after participating in an aerobic exercise program regularly, we can more easily walk up stairs, and our resting heart rate and blood pressure lowers.

Strength: How strong are we? Strength is an important component to our health also. Strong muscles not only help us in our daily activities, but they help us to keep our bones and joints functioning without pain and injury. Our strength levels are usually measured by how much resistance or weight can we lift. Another type of strength that is a component of fitness is muscular endurance. It is equally important to be able to lift our bag of groceries, as it is to be able to carry them for a few blocks (at least a block or up a flight of those stairs?). Muscular endurance is our body's ability to produce workload over time. Not just a single effort.

Flexibility: How flexible are we? While we shouldn't expect to bring our toes of one leg to our ears while standing like a ballerina, it is important to be able to bend and lift an object without straining our back and hamstrings and other body parts. Each joint of our body along with its muscles has a "range of motion" which allows us to move the way our bodies are meant to, pain and injury free, that is.

Body Composition: This correlates to healthy lean weight vs. unhealthy fatty tissue weight. How much body fat do we have versus lean mass. Dieticians use another measurement to determine the fat/health connection called BMI. Most of us already know that the higher our weight goes above the desired range, the higher our "risk for disease" connection becomes. Want to calculate your BMI? Go to http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

These are the components of fitness. They each have an important connection to our health and healthy living aside from just being in shape. They are all an important part of an exercise program. Do we see a component of fitness that needs more of our attention? Now's the time to review our needs and pick a place to begin. I also believe in one step, one change at a time, and exercise can give us a great positive focus instead of just dieting. And what could be a better time to start than now, with a new year!

Want help with your exercise and weight goals? Contact us for information on the new "10-week Personalized Get- in- Shape" Programs by emailing me or go http://www.junefit.com/serviceshp.htm Offered also are "Personal Exercise Only" Programs smartly designed to strengthen, condition, increase flexibility, and more with Ed Irace! Services provided in NYC, and nationally through Skype web service, email and phone when appropriate.

Here's to a New Year, and New Fitness Goals!

June M. Lay M.S.
JuneFit
Enjoying my tips? Get a head start thinking about a New Year weight loss goal with my book. Here's the link to Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-Diet-Creative-Eating/dp/1432743597/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325335113&sr=8-1

Junefit is included in Google's top ranked women's health resources, scroll midway http://directory.google.com/Top/Health/Women's_Health/Resources/

June is Lifestyle Columnist at www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/index.shtml

copyright 2012, junefit. All rights reserved.

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