Everyone has their own reasons for dragging themselves to the gym everyday -- some enjoy the feeling they get when running that fifth mile, some focus on health reasons and others take pride in the washboard abs that come with doing a daily set of crunches. Whatever your reasons for exercising are, fitness experts agree that maintaining a regular fitness routine is important.
Daily exercise affects your mental and physical body as it changes your level of activity, which affects your physical and mental being.
"Your habitual level of activity and food intake creates the current state of your body -- and mind! c9 Increasing your habitual level of activity, increasing your healthy food intake and decreasing your unhealthy food intake will force your body to create a new, lower weight equilibrium," personal trainer senior Courtenay Lewis said. "It's about making a lifestyle change c9 for life."
Mentally, exercise can work to "reduce stress and help with depression," personal trainer sophomore Andrew McTammany said.
Exercising also works to improve your physical body in areas including cardiovascular, strength and flexibility.
"When trained regularly, your heart will pump more efficiently all the time. Exercise can decrease blood pressure. Everyday tasks such as running to class and climbing stairs become easier," personal trainer senior Rachel Casas explained. In terms of strength, exercise works by "increasing muscle strength and endurance. Everyday tasks such as lifting groceries and books become easier," Casas said. "Improved flexibility means you are less likely to injure yourself when exercising or in everyday life.
Balance and simplicity
With so many possible benefits to be gained from daily exercise, the key to a successful fitness program is achieving balance and simplicity.
"An ideal exercise plan focuses both on strength training as well as cardiovascular exercise," McTammany said. By including both in your fitness program, strength, cardiovascular and flexibility improvement can be achieved.
Overly complex workouts are generally inefficient as simple workouts are easier to follow and show more results. "One of the essential aspects of starting a balanced health regime is keeping it simple. There is an overemphasis on complicating health regimes with little, if any, added benefit," Lewis said.
A basic training program
Most trainers recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of cardiovascular work three to six days a week. Depending on factors such as individual goals, limitations and fitness level, exercise routines can vary. Most are centered around a basic program that includes warm up, cardio, weight training, cool down and stretching.
For newcomers, Casas generally recommends sticking to the upstairs fitness room in the Rec Center. "Normally I recommend that people do as much cardiovascular activity as they have time for (aiming for at least 30 minutes almost every day). For strength training, I recommend that people do two sets of about 10 repetitions for each strength exercise at least once per week," Casas said.
Steps to improve a workout
Many people struggle with similar problems when attempting to follow a regimented fitness program. Two common troubles include sticking to one's program and incorrect form.
Proper form means focusing on the right muscle and preventing muscle or spinal injury. To achieve correct form it is important to "use appropriate weight -- you should be able to do at least eight reps; if you can do more than 12, the weight is too light, ladies! Keep your spine long and support your movements from your core by pulling your navel towards your spine in every movement. Stay away from any exercise that puts weight on your neck," Lewis explained.
"If you are bored or unhappy with your exercise routine try something new. Your body also acclimates to the same exercises done repeatedly. This is called an exercise plateau, which happens when performance is no longer improving. The body benefits a great deal when it is challenged in various ways," said Casas.
Services at the Rec Center
If guidance or group motivation is what you are missing in your workout regime, the Rec Center has much to offer. Personal training sessions (available for a fee in half an hour and hour sessions) include fitness testing, orientation to fitness equipment and strength and individual training. Follow-up sessions are also encouraged to keep clients on track with their personal workout program. Additional fitness classes are also offered to those who have purchased a fitness pass and include yoga, body toning, spinning, ballet body, step aerobics, cardio kick-boxing, pilates, basic hip hop, on the ball and boogie to bhangra.
Any student is welcome to attend a class for the first time for free. If you like what you see you can buy a fitness pass for $40 and make a class part of your routine.
