Personal Training - for living!
If you have read this far into this website, you probably have an idea WHY you should exercise. Exercise, diet and lifestyle make up the three legs of any healthy living plan. Below is an abbreviated list of exercise benefits. Some HOW TO exercise tips and links follow.
> Strengthens your heart, lungs, muscles, and bones
> Makes everyday activities easier
> Improves your mood and fights depression
> Increases mental alertness and resistance to Alzheimer’s and dementia
> Combats chronic diseases, see aging
> Adds quality years to your life
> Helps you lose or manage your weight
> Promotes better sleep
> Improves your sex life
> Is a natural activity and fun!
REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING:
"Design a RT Program Using EXRX.net"
"Exercise Tips"
"Make Your Workout a HIIT"
"Top 12 Exercise Mistakes"
"Weight (Resistance) Training Concepts"
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Exercise Prescription On the Net COMMENT: A true website gem. Massive, technically correct and FREE guidance to exercise design. See my guide to using this site above.
Kraemer William and Steven Fleck. Designing Nonlinear Periodization Workouts. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2007. COMMENTS: Written by the unquestioned leading authorities in this field, this variation of periodization training will maximize strength gains.
Morqentaler, A. Testosterone for Life: Recharge Your Vitality, Sex Drive, Muscle Mass, and Overall Health . McGraw-Hill (2009). COMMENT: See discussion of anabolic steroids in Weight (Resistance) Training Concepts.
Neporent Liz. Weight Lifting For Dummies. Newport: Wiley Publishing, 2006. COMMENT: I usually am not a fan of the "Dummies" series but this is a well researched and written guide. Follows ACSM guidelines.
National Institute On Aging. "Exercise: A Guide From the National Institute On Aging" Downloaded 2008. COMMENT: Well organized and free PDF publication, good for elders or out of shape beginners as well.
WebMD. "Fitness 101: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Exercise" Link. Great advice IAW ACSM guidelines, but you have to follow many sub-links.
Are you convinced about the value of exercise? If not, head back to the couch and the potato chips. However, for beginners and those who do not have a lot of time to learn exercise design, here is my best suggestion; find a qualified personal trainer to help you design an effective exercise program.
This is not a bald faced plug for my profession, but a reflection of my own experience before earning my personal trainer certification. Prior to this, I believed my independent studies were all I needed to design my own exercise program. But pieces of knowledge do not always create a cohesive whole. A qualified personal trainer will design a comprehensive and progressive exercise program that maximizes results in accordance with the client's goals and expectations.
Compliance after a year is less than 50% for most people starting an exercise program. Any exercise is good, but to get the most lasting results for the time invested, spend some bucks on a qualified personal trainer (link to follow).
You Must "Resist" Aging
No fitness program is complete until the resistance training is done. Aerobic training by itself will not offset the loss of bone and muscle mass that comes with getting older. The resultant frailty will hinder your lifestyle, slow your metabolism and contribute to a long list of pathologies.
