Fitness training is a combination of exercises performed regularly to improve health, performance and well-being. It can include everything from recreational sports to a home workout with dumbbells. Fitness training is designed to increase your overall health, from your heart and lungs to your muscles, bones and joints.
When it comes to exercise, the most effective way to improve your fitness is to include aerobic or cardiovascular, strength, core, balance and flexibility exercises. A trainer can help you develop a fitness program that incorporates these elements, but it’s possible to get a great workout without one.
In order to improve your fitness, you must train at a level of intensity that challenges your body but not so much that it causes injury or overtraining (also known as general adaptation syndrome). Training too hard results in muscle fatigue, joint pain and inflammation, decreased performance, a negative attitude and a weakened immune system.
If you are new to resistance (weight lifting) training, a trainer can help you choose safe starting loads and set up a program that builds both strength and endurance. It’s also important to remember that your muscles need rest between workouts in order to repair and grow. If you work the same group of muscles every day, they will not have time to recover, and you’ll never be able to build strength or increase endurance. Working different muscle groups on different days, or a “split routine,” is a good solution.
Once you’ve mastered the basics of strength training, you can start to experiment with a range of techniques to challenge your muscles. One method is called wave loading, where you alternate between a heavy load and a light load on each repetition. Another is contrast loading, where you vary the number of reps you do of a particular exercise by increasing or decreasing the weight for each set.
In addition to exercise type and intensity, you can vary the workout by changing the number of sets and repetitions, and varying the tempo of each repetition. This will keep your workout fresh and prevent boredom. You can also increase or decrease the frequency of your workouts, and change the exercise that you’re doing on each day to keep your body from getting bored with the same exercises.
If you’re not seeing the improvement that you want, it may be time to consider a new trainer. Having someone to hold you accountable can make you more likely to show up for your workouts. Many trainers will also be happy to answer your questions and provide advice once your workout is over. Just make sure to ask your trainer about their qualifications and experience, and check references. Also, be prepared to pay a trainer’s fee if you decide to work together. This can add up, but the investment in your long-term health is worth it. If you’re unsure of what trainer is right for you, contact local gyms and ask about their rates and client satisfaction.
