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Balanced physical fitness programming walks a fine line between listening to what you want to do, and incorporating those interests into a program that also contains what you need to do from a total wellness perspective.  At FirstPath, one of our goals is to give you a comprehensive guide to help you design a personal fitness program that meets both your wants and needs. All of the key components of fitness must be included in your program and addressed correctly to ensure a balanced approach to your health and fitness.
The "big three" are cardiovascular conditioning, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility training. (Not to be forgotten are good eating habits and proper nutrition!) In each article we'll address one of the three key components of fitness, and look at what you have to do to achieve the benefits associated with that type of exercise.
Let's look first at cardiovascular conditioning. Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise consists of movement that is rhythmic and continuous in nature, and uses the large muscle groups of the body (such as the hips, legs and arms). Using large muscle groups is the key. For example, pumping your channel changer or chewing gum can be rhythmic and continuous, but will not give you the aerobic workout you need. This movement must also be sustained for a period of time.
The main health benefit of cardiovascular training is a stronger and healthier heart. In addition, aerobic exercise can decrease total cholesterol and increase HDL (the "good" cholesterol that helps to keep your arteries unclogged and healthy). It can decrease your body fat and reduce blood pressure too. And even though you may feel a little tired after a good workout, cardio training can improve your overall energy levels and reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and depression.
Now that you know why you should include aerobic exercise in your program, let's look at a few guidelines to help you avoid boredom, improve your results and maximize your training time.
- How much is enough? By now you probably agree that cardiovascular conditioning should be included in your balanced program. The frequency and duration (how often and how long) are determined by your goals. If your goal is simply to improve your overall health, you can get by with 20 to 30 minutes of cardio activity two to three days per week. However, if your goal is improved fitness or weight loss, you will have to commit a little more time - 20 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise, three to six days per week. Don't get too carried away though. Start with shorter, less frequent sessions and gradually progress until you are meeting your goals.
- What activities are best? The best aerobic activities are the ones that you like and will stick with. No one cardiovascular activity is better than another! Often, the best aerobic exercise will be not one, but several, activities that are fun, feel good to your body, keep your mind refreshed, and keep you progressing. Try to create balance within this one component of fitness by varying your activities regularly. Variety will keep you from getting bored and help prevent overuse injuries. Change also stimulates your body and keeps the results coming in.
- How hard is hard enough? Some days you'll feel like cruising at an easy pace, and some days you'll feel bionic and want to work harder. Working at intensities that are hard or easy is neither good nor bad, but simply a matter of appropriateness. If your goal is better health, you can work at an easy pace all the time and get the benefits you're looking for. If you're trying to get fit, you'll need to balance easy, moderate and harder workouts. The key is change. Don't work out at the same moderate intensity level every day. Mix longer, easy workouts with shorter, hard workouts. Or, work at a moderate level for most of your workout, but give occasional hard pushes that force you out of your comfort zone.
- The bottom line? Cardiovascular conditioning is an important part of a balanced training program, along with strength and flexibility training. Determine your goals, choose a variety of activities, work out at the right level of effort, maximize your training time, and you'll start to see progress and results!
Start an effective cardiovascular conditioning program today! Check out Cardio Interval Training in Candice's Move of the Week.
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