Happy New Year! As we begin 2011 many of us have some type of fitness goal on our agenda. We may be trying to lose a few pounds, improve our cholesterol, or tackle a 5k. Whatever the ultimate goal is, it's important to have the most efficient approach to reach it! Success is a huge motivating factor, if you're not reaching your goal it's likely you'll give up. Below are the "5 Components of Fitness" (courtesy of the National College of Exercise Professionals, an organization I am an instructor for). By addressing each of these components success is inevitable!
1.Nutritional Guidance: Take a look at your nutrition. Notice I didn't say choose a "diet". Do you have a variety of healthy food in your diet or is the only kind of fruit you've eaten for the last year apples? Are you drinking enough water? Are you limiting your processed food and sugar intake?
2.Flexibility Training: A big misconception is that we don't need to stretch if we're not sore. This is not true! We all have muscular imbalances, whether we exercise regularly or not, and need to address them in order to keep our bodies functioning efficiently and pain free.
3.Cardiovascular Training: Even if your goal isn't to lose weight you need to do cardio! Your heart is a muscle and needs to be worked to stay strong.
4.Resistance Training: Do you have a solid strength training routine? Are you switching it up or have you been doing the same side lunges to target your outer thighs for years now? Variety is key! Challenge your body with new exercises!
5.Attitude Training: Are you beating yourself up if you miss a workout or looking for ways to stay motivated and inspired? A positive attitude goes a long way and makes the journey so much more fun!
In order to reach your goal, no matter what it is, it's important to look at a variety of contributing factors and address them each. For instance, if you're training for a 5k and only focus on cardio you aren't giving your body the greatest chance to succeed. By implementing the other components you are creating the most efficient plan to reach your goals. This makes success come sooner and with a much lower chance of injury or burn out!
Whatever your personal goal is, take all of the components into consideration and go get em'!
http://ncep.ca/
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