Expert Fitness Advice for 2024
1. Setting Realistic Fitness Goals
The next consideration is your aerobic fitness level. This is defined by the efficiency and capacity of the heart and the vascular system to deliver oxygen and fuel to the muscles. An easy way to gauge your aerobic fitness is by comparing your level of activity to that of your peers. Are you able to do more than they can do without huffing and puffing? Can they do more than you? These are important questions because research has shown that aerobic fitness is a strong indicator of overall health. If you want to see how you measure up there are simple field tests which provide an estimation of your aerobic fitness level. These tests are an excellent way to measure improvements in fitness at a later time as well. A detailed description of these tests, refer to section 6.2 in the fitness book.
The first step in establishing fitness goals is to assess your current fitness level. This is important so that you can set a goal that is a realistic challenge that will also prevent discouragement. The most basic way to assess your fitness level can is by taking into account your current activities. If you do little more than ordinary walking you might consider yourself inactive. If you participate in light to moderate activities you are somewhat active. If you engage in intense activities or have a physically demanding job you consider yourself highly active. These are very general classifications, but can be effective for laying the groundwork for setting a goal.
Setting realistic fitness goals is essential for achieving success. Most people are not interested in just losing weight, but want to improve their fitness level as well. The best way to do this is to set fitness goals as opposed to weight loss goals. There are three essential elements to setting a fitness goal. The first is to identify your current fitness level. The second is to define a specific and measurable goal. The third is to set a target date for reaching the goal.
1.1. Identifying Your Current Fitness Level
If you meet these standards, there may be some areas in which you can improve in muscular fitness. Static strength testing can help estimate the strength of various muscle groups. This testing is not always appropriate and should be done under the supervision of a fitness professional.
Muscular Fitness: "The ability of muscles to exert force."
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to evaluate your aerobic fitness more thoroughly. Step test estimating VO2 max is one good way to do this. If you are in the poor or inactive range using the step test may be more strenuous than what is safe and appropriate for you.
Aerobic Fitness: "The ability to do moderately strenuous activity over a period of time."
When identifying your current fitness level, you will need to evaluate your ability in three areas: aerobic fitness, muscular fitness, and flexibility. Each type of fitness is important in its own right, but all-around fitness involves being able to perform vigorously in all three areas simultaneously. It is easy to determine if you are in the healthy zone for each fitness area. Answer the following questions for each area. These answers help you decide to what extent you need to improve your current level of fitness.
1.2. Defining Specific and Measurable Goals
Goal setting can be applied to any aspect of fitness that you would like to improve. Whether it is endurance, strength, flexibility, or body composition, setting specific goals can help you see where you are and where you would like to be. Goal setting is an excellent way to motivate yourself, and as you get closer to your goal, it can give you a sense of satisfaction like no other. Always set long-term goals and short-term goals, but remember that without a clear final destination, you may find yourself getting sidetracked. A long-term goal might be something like going from 26% body fat to 18% body fat. A good short-term goal might be to lose 1-2 pounds per week for the next 3 months. With that, you can calculate that 4 pounds of fat is equal to 1% body fat, so in 3 months you will have a 4% decrease in body fat.
Too many people set goals such as "lose weight" or "get in shape" without specifically outlining what they mean. What is "in shape?" How will you know when you have reached it? Without a clear, specific, and measurable goal, it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for you to create an effective plan for reaching your goal. Ask yourself how important it is for you to reach this goal. If it isn't that important, you probably won't invest the time and energy needed to achieve it. If it's very important, write it down and rate how confident you are that you will be able to achieve this goal. After completing this rating, write down the reasons for your ratings. If you believe there is some internal conflict regarding this goal, it might be helpful to write this down also. Next, decide how long you want to give yourself to reach this goal. It should be enough time so that you can reach your goal and have a sense of accomplishment, but not too much time that you lose the sense of urgency.
1.3. Creating a Realistic Timeline
Realistic timelines ensure higher adherence and success with goal setting. Unrealistic timelines can be discouraging and are a frequent cause for goal abandonment. An example of an unrealistic timeline is losing 30 pounds in four months. This would require a 2.5 pound weight loss per week, when a realistic healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week. That same goal with a realistic timeline would be twelve to twenty-four weeks. Time can be increased to allow for periods of decreased motivation, illness, injury, or other life interruptions. Use these steps to help you create a realistic timeline for your goals.
Time is an essential factor in goal setting and achievement. You must establish a clear timeline to define your vision of the future. Timelines can be especially useful for long-term and complex goals. A timeline will help you monitor your progress and set re-evaluation points to keep you on track toward your goals.
2. Incorporating Strength Training into Your Routine
The best way to transform your progress in a significant and positive direction is to incorporate a good strength training regimen into your fitness routine. Strength training has many benefits such as improved sleep, improved cardiovascular health, and increased bone density, which is crucial for women. However, the most well-known benefit is increased muscle and strength. Unlike in the past where it was elite athletes and bodybuilders who performed strength training, it is now considered essential for any athlete to perform a strength regimen in some form or another. This is because the advantages to athletic performance are so great. They include increased speed, power, and endurance. With an increase in strength and power, many movements that were once difficult will become easier and less tiring, therefore increasing efficiency. This, in turn, will reduce the chance of becoming injured due to fatigue during a training session. By completing a strength program, you will be doing your bit to decrease the number of overtraining injuries.
2.1. Understanding the Benefits of Strength Training
Once you have made the decision to work at home and get in shape, it's simple to overdo it and get to a point of diminishing returns. Once you're into the swing of issues, you will probably be so eager to see results that you could be tempted to slice your calories or increase the quantity of cardiovascular training you are doing. Caution against doing both when attempting to put on muscle. More often than not and particularly for hardgainers, your problem isn't that you're not doing sufficient or consuming too little. It's that you're doing an excessive amount of and/or eating too much of the flawed thing. To see results, your goal must be to increase the amount of work you're doing in the gym in measured increments, and to fuel that work with a food regimen that allows you to add on small quantities of weight over time. If you're gaining greater than 1-2lbs per week, you are most likely putting on much fat. It could also be difficult to hear, however likelihood is that you will have to be patient and persistent to get the most effective outcomes, which takes a substantial period of time. But it's worthwhile if you take into account the capability to transform your physique into something better than you thought possible for your current genetic limitations. So if you're patient and persistent, and apply the correct amount of effort to your training and weight loss plan, then you've got an excellent chance of building a strong physique that is healthy and useful as well as great looking.
2.2. Choosing the Right Exercises for Your Goals
Based on research and real-world application, this rep range of 8-12 has proven to be most effective in reaching a goal of increasing muscle size or definition. An intermediate goal of reaching the higher end of the rep range of 12 reps with a set is usually a good indicator to increase resistance. If an individual can do more than 12 reps with a certain load, it is a good idea to increase the resistance for the exercise. This progression applies well to the novice all the way to the advanced trainer. Using this info, a person who is trying to increase muscle size or definition should choose exercises that require the use of free weights, machine and cable exercises. Step one for this person is to choose exercises that are safe to perform, pain-free, and match their current level of flexibility. The exercises should be done using controlled movements with a concentric phase of 2-4 seconds and an eccentric phase of 3-6 seconds. This person will want to do 2-3 sets per exercise.
To choose the right exercises for your goals, you must first understand what you are trying to accomplish from your exercise program. Are you trying to increase muscular strength, increase muscle mass, increase muscular endurance, increase flexibility, increase cardiovascular endurance, or lose weight? There are specific resistance training exercises that are best for each different goal. For example, a person who is trying to increase muscular strength would concentrate on different exercises, sets, reps, and rest intervals than a person who is trying to increase muscle mass. This person would want to do 1-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions per exercise using heavy resistance and long rest intervals between sets. An individual trying to increase muscular endurance would want to do 2-3 sets of 12-16 repetitions per exercise using light to moderate resistance and short rest intervals between sets.
2.3. Implementing Proper Form and Technique
To ensure that each strength training exercise is effective and carried out with a reduced likelihood of injury, it is essential that you execute each movement with the correct form and technique. This is vital due to the fact that (as learned in part 2.1) static strength training exercises are designed to target specific muscles or muscle groups and overload them inducing strength gains. If the exercise is not performed efficiently, the desired muscles will not be adequately hit and results will be limited. Also, poor technique can lead to muscle and joint imbalances, postural deficiencies, and an increased susceptibility to injury not conducive to long-term health. Lastly, when you have a thorough understanding of what a correct exercise movement looks and feels like, it becomes much easier to identify and avoid flawed exercises. This will allow for quick alterations to your exercise selection when the need arises.
3. Designing an Effective Cardiovascular Workout
While weight training offers many benefits, a consistent cardiovascular program is essential to a well-rounded fitness program. Whether you're a fitness enthusiast, bodybuilder, or powerlifter, you should use a well-planned cardio program to maintain and/or improve your level of conditioning. Cardiovascular training is very effective in reducing body fat, but that is not the sole purpose. A well-planned cardio program will improve your recovery ability between weight training sessions (allowing you to train harder with the weights), it will improve your work capacity, and it will enhance your general level of fitness. The old school of thought (performing cardio in the morning on an empty stomach) is not the most beneficial way to incorporate a cardio program. A sound approach is to perform a type of cardio that is less detrimental to your primary goal, and/or add in some cardio work post weight training on the days you more.
3.1. Selecting Cardio Exercises Based on Your Preferences
To design a cardiovascular workout that you will stick with, it is important to choose exercises that you like to do. There are many activities that qualify as a cardiovascular workout; what is most important is that they elevate your heart rate. If you are going to exercise indoors, make a list of several activities that you would like to do, such as using an exercise bike, treadmill, or stair climber. If you are the type of person who likes to set goals, why not try one of these fitness machines that are equipped with built-in programs? You might enjoy the variety and structure that they provide. If you are going to exercise outdoors, do keep safety in mind. It is hard to elevate your heart rate while avoiding traffic, so use well-defined running, walking, or biking routes, or go to a park where you can avoid vehicles. If you live in a location with unsafe air quality, it may be best to exercise indoors with a good air filter.
3.2. Determining the Appropriate Intensity and Duration
3.3. Incorporating Interval Training for Maximum Results
4. Developing a Well-Balanced Nutrition Plan
4.1. Understanding the Importance of Proper Nutrition
4.2. Identifying Essential Macronutrients and Micronutrients
Fat is an efficient form of energy and is the major fuel used at rest and during low-intensity exercise. This does not mean to say that an athlete's diet should be high in fat, as this can lead to several health problems and impair exercise performance. The key is the type of fat rather than the amount. There are health risks associated with high intakes of saturated fat and trans fat, so these fats should be kept to a minimum. A high intake of essential fats is desirable, and these are found in unsaturated fat and oily fish. They have many health benefits and are also involved in several biological functions. The UK recommendation is that 25-30% of an individual's energy should come from fat. This is easily achievable for an athlete and should not be exceeded. Fats and oils are also part of fat-soluble vitamins, which leads me on to the role of vitamins and minerals where carbohydrates, proteins, and fats have no function.
Protein has several roles for the body, not just for repairing muscle, and it is not an efficient fuel for energy. Any cells that are damaged are replaced with protein, and it is a major component of cells, antibodies, and the immune system. The hemoglobin that carries oxygen to all parts of the body is made up of protein, and protein also regulates fluid balance. Due to these roles, the body's protein stores have to be maintained. If there is inadequate carbohydrate and fat, protein will be used for energy, and exercise performance will be reduced. This is an undesirable use for protein as there are problems associated with increased protein and decreased carbohydrate diets. This can lead to high intake of saturated fat and also dehydration, as more water is required to remove the by-products of fat metabolism. An athlete's protein intake must be just the right amount, not too much or too little. Too much protein is an expensive way to purchase energy and is not healthy. It can lead to calcium loss from the bones and potentially kidney problems. The RDA for protein is 0.8g per kg body weight; however, an athlete may require 1.2-1.4g per kg body weight. A well-planned diet should easily achieve this.
Macronutrients are needed in larger amounts and include carbohydrates, protein, fat, and water. Carbohydrates are the most important source of energy for your body. They are easily used and stored and are needed for everything from playing football to just breathing. Carbohydrates are obviously an important part of an athlete's diet. A lack of carbohydrates will lead to fatigue and reduced performance. High-intensity sports have to be aware that the body uses carbohydrates from blood and muscle stores, not just from muscle stores, so high-intensity sports require a lot of carbohydrates.
Macronutrients and micronutrients are the compounds that make up the diet of an individual, and they are the substances that allow the body to function properly. However, these nutrients can only be effective for an individual's well-being if they are consumed in the correct amount that the body requires.
4.3. Creating a Calorie Deficit or Surplus for Your Goals
If your goal is to lose weight and body fat, the main objective is to be in a calorie deficit, so any of the extra consumed calories will be converted and stored as fat. To do this, you will need to determine your daily calorie maintenance and ensure that your daily calorie consumption does not exceed this figure. There are many ways of estimating your calorie maintenance, but a quick and easy method is to multiply your body weight in pounds by 12. If you lead an active lifestyle, your maintenance may be higher than this, so factor in any weekly weight changes to determine whether you need to consume more or fewer calories. Once your maintenance has been determined, aim to consume 300-500 calories per day less, which will result in a calorie deficit and weight loss at a rate of approximately 0.5-1 pound per week. Remember, slower weight loss is more effective in the long term and makes it easier to maintain the weight loss as muscle mass will not be significantly affected.
Two simple and important concepts that need to be understood when developing a nutrition plan are the terms calorie surplus and calorie deficit. A calorie deficit occurs when we burn more calories than we consume. This is an essential concept to understand when trying to lose weight because weight loss will only occur when we are in a calorie deficit. On the other hand, a calorie surplus occurs when we consume more calories than we burn. Weight and muscle gain can only occur when we are in a calorie surplus, provided that a proper strength training program is followed. This is because extra calories are needed to support muscle growth and repair, and if these calories are not available, the body will not be able to build new muscle tissue. Now that we understand these concepts, let's determine what type of nutrition plan is needed to reach certain goals.
5. Prioritizing Recovery and Rest Days
Prioritizing recovery and rest days: Athletes tend to target the latest fad in the hope of achieving breakthrough performance, often neglecting recovery in their quest to fulfill their athletic goals. Without adequate rest and recovery, the effects of training will lead to systematic breakdown of the body (Wolfe, P. 2007). Assuming that more training results in better performance, the 'more is better' attitude can lead many athletes to staleness, overtraining or overuse injury. The body does not distinguish between physical and psychological stress, as overtraining can affect hormone levels, the immune system, cardiac and psychological health (Kreher, J.B. and Schwartz, J.B. 2012). Resulting in the impairment of performance, causing irritability, depression and a decreased appetite. It is at this point the athlete may take a complete rest however, the restoration of health may take weeks, months or even years (Kreher, J.B. and Schwartz, J.B. 2012). Ideally a well-structured training program will build in periodic rest as it is an integral part of the process and is vital to realize full potential. Rest days are characterized by a decrease in training load or volume with the purpose of facilitating recovery. Step detraining occurs when an athlete ceases to train, leading to loss of fitness or performance. However, complete rest as outlined in the next sub-topic may not be the best strategy to promote recovery from a hard microcycle as there is a reduction in physiological and psychological stress with easier training, preservation of fitness and performance, facilitating an easier transition back into a normal training routine (Halson, S.L. 2014).
5.1. Recognizing the Significance of Rest in Fitness
During a rest day, it is best to completely avoid exercise. However, taking a dog for a walk, doing some light stretching, or other activities of this nature are fine if not done for too long of a duration. This can be looked at as active recovery.
There are varying opinions regarding how much is too much rest. As a general statement, if one has to question whether or not they are taking too many rest days, they likely do not need more time off. If an athlete has specified a certain day as a rest day, there should be a good reason in order to deviate from this plan. This reason should be either acute fatigue or feelings of extreme overreaching or overtraining. The difference between rest days in response to strategic planning and those due to overtraining is that the athlete will feel refreshed both mentally and physically, and ready to once again tackle hard training when the rest day is planned.
Significance of rest seems to suggest weakness when in reality it is a smart training. Rest is physical therapy. Adaptations to exercise occur during the recovery phase, so it is very important to follow hard training with a strategic rest day. This is difficult for many athletes to accept, as it is often hard to convince someone that not doing something will lead to better results. On the same token, there is a fine line between a strategic rest day and taking too many days off.
5.2. Incorporating Active Recovery Techniques
The body, active recovery is proven to be best practice to enhance recovery. Sutton (2008) declares active recovery can increase blood flow, using low impact activities such as swimming or cycling. Increasing blood flow has been proven to enhance recovery by ridding the muscles of lactic acid and protein cells to aid better repair damage. Active recovery is also claimed to bring about psychological benefits, enhancing the repair of physiological state; back to conflict and training. During active recovery, the athlete remains focused and in a competitive frame of mind, increasing confidence that training is do not increase muscle fatigue. Psychological benefits are claimed to speed up recovery compared to passive techniques where there is often a feeling of time wasted (Kentta and Hassmen, 1998). High intensity active recovery has also been considered a beneficial recovery technique due to the increased physiological and hormonal changes compared to lower intensities. Bell (1998) states high-intensity recovery can increase the rate of recovery by promoting an interactive balance, enabling faster repair of muscular damage without shifting the focus of energy to a state of overtraining. High intensity recovery can simulate game speed situations, with sports specific drills and skill sessions to maintain metabolism and cardiovascular fitness to closely match the level of fatigue and intensity that led to the need for recovery. Though it has been considered best to closely match the game situation to give the best specific preparation for the next encounter. Dupuy et al (2018) found that rugby players were more fatigued from high intensity training on rest days and concluded that there is a higher risk of training injury and decreased match performance due to higher fatigue and muscle damage levels. During intensified periods and in the presence of any injury, it is suggested that strategic high intensity recovery sessions are carried out to simulate game situation but not increase fatigue to match the game situation, with the idea to elevate recovery rate and return the state of fatigue back to resting level, before returning to training or play.
5.3. Listening to Your Body and Avoiding Overtraining
Understanding your body's limitations and adequate rest periods will help you to stay on the prevention side of overtraining. Although you may be highly motivated and want to push for results quickly, it is important to recognize that progression takes time, and pushing too hard can lead to a decrease of fitness due to injury or other psychological issues related to decreased motivation. High levels of fatigue, frequent illness, and mood swings are all common signs of overtraining. Training should provide you with a feeling of accomplishment and energy, not defeat and exhaustion. If your planned training session for the day is going to push you to a level of fatigue that will hinder your performance in your next session, then it would be advised to take a rest day or do an active recovery session. Use a training diary to document your mental and physical feelings before, during, and after each session. This will provide you with an ongoing record of your body's response to training and will enable you to detect any signs of progressing too hard. Monitoring heart rate is a good way to quantitatively measure the stress of each training session, and there are several calculations which can give you a rough guide to appropriate training intensities and rest days.
6. Staying Consistent and Motivated
Consistency and motivation are key to a successful fitness regime. Having an exercise schedule can greatly improve your motivation to exercise regularly. One of the best reasons to exercise at a set time and day is because you can plan your other activities around your exercise. However, if your work schedule is the one that is always changing, then set only a week ahead at each time. Include variety in your schedule. If you usually exercise in a health club, swimming pool, or at home, sometimes try activities in the other two places. Or go for a bike ride or a run. This can prevent exercise from becoming too monotonous and serve to further increase your fitness. Many people find that exercising with a friend increases the enjoyment of exercise. Knowing that another person is going to the trouble to exercise at the same time can act as a great source of motivation. Group exercise in the form of a game of sport or going to an exercise class is another good method. Other people are motivated by setting exercise goals and keeping a log of the exercise that they have done. Find out what works best for you and build it into your exercise schedule. For example, if you find that you walk quite a lot for transport on some days, it can be best to make that a rest day. Or if you do more walking on weekends, it can be an idea to schedule the increase in fitness walking on those days. When scheduling exercise, be realistic about the time. It is better to understate the amount of time that would be available to exercise than to overstate it, as it will leave you feeling more comfortable and less stressed. This will increase your motivation to exercise.
6.1. Setting Up a Workout Schedule and Sticking to It
Creating a workout schedule is a good strategy for staying consistent with exercise. Planning your workouts and writing them down makes you more committed to the times and days that you have selected. Many people who do not plan out a specific time for exercise are likely to miss workouts because they have not allocated the time for it. This is easier than it seems, especially with all the time management and scheduling features available on most cell phones. Take a look at your weekly calendar and try to find a consistent time that you can spend 30-60 minutes exercising. The more consistent you are with the time of day and days of the week that you plan to exercise, the more likely it is that it will become a habit. What will also help is if you plan on making a few of those workout days with a friend who has similar goals. This way you have someone else who is expecting you to workout and you can motivate each other to stick with it.
6.2. Finding Accountability and Support Systems
Allowing others to have an influence on your personal fitness attitude can help a great deal in keeping you consistent. If you surround yourself with others who are passionate about their health, you are more likely to be health conscious yourself. There will always be days when you feel like staying in bed or slacking off. On these days, it would be a great idea to have a friend hold you accountable for your fitness goals. This friend can check up on you to make sure you are staying on track. If your friend is also fitness savvy, then the two of you can provide positive reinforcement to each other to keep a healthy lifestyle. A similar way to a friend to keep you accountable is to hire a personal trainer. A personal trainer can give you a structured plan and is imperative in providing you advice to your personal goals. When you spend money on a service, you are much more inclined to not waste it. For this reason, many people will have greater consistency after hiring a personal trainer.
6.3. Utilizing Motivational Techniques to Stay on Track
While it is evident that all forms of motivation conclude in enabling a person to stay consistent with their exercise regime, everyone's motivating factors differ. Some individuals may be motivated by the prospect of changing body composition, in which case tracking progress through body fat levels and body measurements can be a great motivational tool. Many individuals are encouraged by the ability to do more in their workouts or improving their performance. Setting physical outcome goals such as these usually involves setting short-term achievable goals that will lead on to the desired long-term goal. An example of this would be a sedentary person aiming to improve fitness levels with the long-term goal of running a 10km fun run. Using a pedometer to measure daily steps, with the short-term goal of increasing daily steps by 10%, this person could develop a great motivational tool. Often, an increase in physical activity is accompanied by improvements in mood and general wellbeing. In such cases it is important to be aware that the exercise itself may not be directly causing the improvements, so ceasing exercise may result in failing to achieve a long-term goal. Personality also plays a role in what type of motivation an individual will respond to. Studies have shown that individuals with an external orientation are more responsive to outcome goals while those with an internal orientation are more responsive to self-efficacy based goals.
7. Incorporating Flexibility and Mobility Training
Mobility exercise is a relatively new term in the fitness industry, but it is essentially flexibility exercises for the joints. It is taking a joint through its entire range of movement and has been described as "flexibility plus strength." It involves the active elongation of a muscle using positions and movements that are specific to a particular sport or exercise. Although it can be useful for general life, carrying the shopping, etc., it is a vital form of conditioning for athletes and can enhance athletic performance, particularly in terms of power and strength. Static stretching and general flexibility exercises can actually decrease a joint's stability and are therefore not useful in rehabilitation or injury prevention for the ligaments or tendons. This is not the case with mobility exercise. A recent study showed an improvement in eccentric hamstring strength and a shift in the optimum angle of peak torque when comparing a group doing specific mobility exercises with a controlled group.
Flexibility and mobility exercises in isolation do not offer great benefits to fitness or sports performance. However, an appropriate flexibility and mobility program is a vital part of any exercise or rehabilitation program. Flexibility exercise, or stretching, is a vital aspect of any fitness program. Stretching increases flexibility, which is the ability to bring a joint through its entire range of movement. It is also a highly effective form of conditioning for exercise or sports and helps to prevent injury. Static stretching involves holding a position for a certain period of time to elongate the muscle and its surrounding tissues. It is the safest and most effective form of stretching to increase flexibility. Flexibility is important in the complete fitness paradigm, and flexibility exercises should be included with all other exercise training.
7.1. Understanding the Benefits of Flexibility and Mobility
7.2. Incorporating Stretching and Foam Rolling Exercises
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching is a method of combining passive and isometric stretching in order to achieve maximum static flexibility. PNF stretching has been found to increase range of motion, or flexibility, in the short term. This is important for athletes wanting to improve their performance in a hurry. PNF requires the person being stretched to contract the muscle group that is being targeted. This contraction is held for 5 seconds and is then released, allowing a passive stretch of the muscle group. Static stretching is then repeated. PNF stretching is more easily performed with a partner who also has knowledge of the technique. Although PNF has been found to be superior in the short term, combining it with static stretching has shown to maintain long-term gains in flexibility.
Static stretching is a safe and effective way to improve flexibility and performance, especially when included in a well-rounded fitness program. Unlike ballistic stretching, static stretching involves stretching a muscle to a point of mild discomfort and holding it at that position. The amount of time a stretch is held is an important factor in flexibility. It is suggested that to increase flexibility, hold a stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds. Although PNF stretching has been shown to have superior results in improving flexibility, it should be performed with a health fitness professional to avoid muscle/tendon tears.
7.3. Enhancing Joint Health and Range of Motion
A joint is the location at which two or more bones make contact. They are constructed to allow movement and flexibility and designed to bear the body's weight. Movement at every joint is influenced by four factors: skeletal structure, ligaments and tendons, muscular strength and activity, and nervous system control. ROM is proportional to the integrity and function of these four factors. Any form of trauma or pathology to a joint can inhibit its performance and ROM, often leading to compensatory movement patterns and increased load on surrounding muscles and ligaments. Over time, this can result in further degeneration and increased risk of traumatic injury.
Regularly performing flexibility and mobility exercises can effectively improve range of motion (ROM) and prevent injury. However, the health and longevity of the joint itself can only be optimally achieved through directly addressing joint health. Vincent (2006) defines a healthy joint as having "intact cartilage, absence of traumatic damage or inflammation, and adequate surrounding muscular strength." Most typical training or rehabilitation programs only aim to regain muscular strength surrounding an injured joint and often neglect re-establishing structural integrity in the joint. Understanding the complex structure of a joint is the first step in knowing how to best enhance its health and ROM.
8. Monitoring Progress and Making Adjustments
Monitoring progress and making adjustments is crucial in ensuring long-term commitment and adherence to your chosen exercise program. Lack of progress can be demotivating and lead to drop out. Self-motivation is an important factor for success - try to set yourself targets to work towards. Regularly recording your activity and comparing to previous results will help to set realistic achievable goals, and will also enable you to re-evaluate and modify targets as required. It has been suggested that using a diary or exercise planner specifically to record type, intensity, duration, and progression of exercise will lead to greater increases in physical activity and adherence to exercise over time. This is an example of using self-regulatory strategies and can be a useful tool when trying to implement behavior change. Using monitoring and tracking measures as outlined previously should involve short and long-term goal setting. A long-term goal of achieving 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week may be broken down into smaller weekly or daily targets of increasing walking time by 10 minutes per day for 12 days. These weekly or daily goals can also be referred to as process goals. Short-term goals and targets are useful to maintain interest and commitment to the exercise program.
8.1. Tracking Fitness Metrics and Measurements
One benefit of following a predefined fitness plan is that it usually involves a well-structured exercise program and a clear goal. This provides a very clear direction on what you need to do in order to achieve your goal, and as the chances are the plan has been successful for other people, the only variables are the quality and consistency of implementation. With a defined goal, an effective plan, and clear measures of success, it is possible to identify how successful a plan is early on and whether or not it needs to be improved. The least rewarding situation is training very hard with little reward or even a loss of condition, e.g., endurance training very hard but getting slower. In this situation, the training may cause a reduction in public or liking of comfort, but most will cease to be productive if the costs/benefits are quantified. This can be particularly important for those with specific goals in a given event and limited time to train, i.e., marathon runners and endurance triathletes. Depending on the results of their current fitness tests, they may be forced to abandon their plan and re-attempt the event at a later date. The ability to measure the success of a training plan in its early stages can help to prevent wasted time and effort.
8.2. Evaluating Progress and Identifying Areas for Improvement
One of the clearest ways to evaluate progress is to evaluate where you are now to where you once were. If you have been following a well-rounded fitness program, hopefully you are stronger, leaner, more flexible, and enduring, experience higher energy levels, and have greater self-esteem. If your fitness level has improved in these areas, you may have found success. At the beginning of your program, rate your fitness on each of these areas on a scale of 1-10. Then compare the ratings to current ratings. See the improvement as simply as the difference between the previous and current ratings. A simpler way to measure progress is record weight, body fat percentage, girth measurements, and to take before and after pictures. These can be effective tools to motivate clients, and to let them see objective, visual evidence of their progress. These methods are quantitative and enable you to set specific goals in each area and to determine if you have met those goals. If you have not seen desired results in any area, you may need to reevaluate your program and make changes. Now that you have evaluated your progress, you must compare and contrast this to your original goals. If you are exactly where you hoped to be, then that means that your program has been effective and successful. If you aren't where you had hoped, then this is a sign to make changes to your program. This comparison of your progress to your initial goals can help to identify areas in which changes need to be made.
8.3. Modifying Your Fitness Plan as Needed
In an ideal world, your initial fitness plan would be perfect and nothing would go wrong with your schedule or the execution of the plan. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world and we soon realize that no plan is perfect. So once you begin implementing your plan, you may see some areas that are not working as effectively as you had hoped, or you may come across problems that you had not anticipated in planning. When this happens, you will need to modify your plan. Making successful and efficient modifications is a vital part of habit integration and often separates those who are successful in the long term from those who are not. When making changes to your plan, the first thing to consider is how critical the area for change is to your overall plan. The more critical the area is to your current goals, the less you should change the rest of your plan. Any change, no matter how small, can have a domino effect, and sometimes changing too much can cause more harm than good. Instead, focus on how you can alter other areas of your plan in order to accommodate a change in a very critical area. The next most important factor in making a change to your plan is ensuring that the change implemented is sustainable. This is because every habit that you make – including habit changes – takes from the same pool of mental energy. A habit to change an area of your fitness plan can be very draining, and non-sustainable changes can often lead to regression. This is why it is important to try to change as little as possible when making a habit change, and only increase what you are changing if it can be done without a significant increase in mental energy spent. A good example of this can be seen with beginner weightlifters who try to change their exercise plan too much rather than trying a simple cost-effective change to maximize the effectiveness of their current plan.
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