Fit and Well Article for January 19th, 2003
"Dear David and Trish…
I recently joined a gym, and I am OVERWHELMED! So much equipment, so many options, and so little time! Where do I begin?"
-Overwhelmed but committed in Annapolis
Great question! The fact is, the first month, albeit, the FIRST DAY of your fitness experience is critical! And it is most important that you start out right.
Unfortunately, within the limitations of this column, we can’t give you ALL the information that you need to develop and maintain an effective exercise program. There is a veritable plethora of books, magazines and other resources available to assist you in getting educated. And, of course, if your budget permits, your commitment will be well supported, and enhanced, by a Personal Trainer (no… they are NOT just for the rich and famous!).
Anyway, let’s call this little bit of information "exercise 101"….
There are basically two types of exercise activity that you will want to engage in throughout your fitness "career".
The first is commonly known as "cardio" (also cardio vascular or cardio respiratory). Just as the name implies, this form of exercise is designed primarily to increase the efficiency and functional integrity of the heart, respiration, and other critical functions. However, because of the nature of the exercise, it’s intensity and relatively long duration has numerous other benefits, including but not limited to caloric expenditure , enhancement of fat burn, enhancement of muscle toning and firming, and literally dozens of other direct and indirect benefits. The actual function of this exercise is "aerobic" in nature, because it utilizes oxygen in the thermogenic process. You will likely hear people refer to this as "aerobic" exercise… and it is characterized by moderate to intense periods of continuous exertion, typically employing the larger muscle groups of the body (lower body and core).
The second type of exercise is known as "strength training" or "resistance" exercise. This is what you see people doing on machines or with "free-weights" such as barbells or dumbbells. The duration is short, but the intensity is quite often very high. The primary purpose of these exercises is to condition, strengthen, and sometimes actually enlarge various skeletal muscles. Some of these that you are probably familiar with are "quads" (thigh), biceps (upper arm), and the famous, but often misunderstood (and underworked) abdominal (stomach) muscles. Terms associated with these exercises are "reps", "sets", "overload", and "are we having fun yet?"!!!
However, very much like aerobic exercise, there are literally dozens of secondary benefits to engaging in this type of exercise (see inset A). Additionally, most modern trainers and nutritionists see increasing lean muscle tissue, and the effectiveness and efficiency of muscle as critical in long term weight loss and weight management (maintaining a healthy weight whilst eating a variety of foods). As a matter of fact, both Trish and I have used this approach ourselves for many years. I, having lost over 100 pounds eighteen years ago, and Trish over 30 pounds two years ago. And both of us maintaining a healthy weight in spite of a frightening onslaught of cheeseburgers, French fries, and Dairy Queen since!
As you can see just in this short article, the subject is tremendously complex, and joyfully challenging! There is ALWAYS more to learn. But there is much information available for ANYONE to successfully begin and maintain a safe and effective fitness program, through various exercise techniques and sound nutrition. As Trish and I always say, "today is the first day of the rest of your life… use it, enjoy it, and nurture it!".
Next week, we will look at specific programs perfect for increasing endurance, strength, muscle size and body composition, or simply looking even more gorgeous at the beach!
The Bottom Line:
A proper program of exercise is essential in getting, and staying, fit and well!
TABLE 1:
Some Benefits of Strength Training:
TABLE 2:
Some Benefits of Aerobic Training: