An overview of fitness training, by Johannesburg Personal Trainer, Michael Fritz
When planning a fitness program, there are several factors you need to take into account, such as:
- Age
- Overall health
- Personal fitness objectives
People over the age of 40, although not “over the hill” by any stretch of the imagination, should nevertheless consult their doctor first, giving them some idea of the exercises involved.
Any fitness workout should begin with a 5-10 minute warm up – gentle exercises designed to waken up those muscles and raise the heart rate. You can then go on to raise the heart rate even further with more strenuous exercises, such as situps.
For those who are able to push themselves a little further, hand weights or elastic tubing are a fantastic option, making the exercise that little bit more intense, making your muscles really work. You may be under the misconception that hand weights are only for the young – not so. Gentle use of weights can in fact slowly begin to build up your strength and help with your bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
If you have been advised to take some exercise to alleviate medical problems, you might want to integrate some brisk walking or swimming into your exercise regime. Swimming in fact, is known as one of the only sports which uses all of the muscles in your body – as well as being excellent fun!
Equally as important as the warm-up is the cool-down, which many people tend to either forget or neglect. Remember – you’ve given your body a real fitness workout, and need to spend another 5-10 minutes making sure you bring your breathing down once more and giving your muscles a good stretch, to stop them going into spasm.
Planning a fitness program to integrate seamlessly into someone’s everyday life isn’t as difficult as it seems. As little exercise as 20 minutes each day, as you’re going about your business, can deliver fantastic results. A good certified personal trainer will look at not just your age, health, current level of fitness and aims, but also your daily routine, interests and hobbies, to see which exercises can be practised and when. If they’ve done their job properly, before long you’ll be exercising every day, without even realising it!