When we start exercising we tend to focus on one or two types of exercises. My first type of exercise was running it was easy and convenient for me. I loved it and did it for over a year. As Abraham Maslow said, “He that is good with a hammer tends to think everything is a nail”. Whatever exercise we start doing, we get comfortable and think it is the only one we can do. However, there is more than one kind of exercise. Studies have shown that is it important to get all different types of exercises to improve your fitness base.
Benefits Of Different Types Of Exercises.
Including different types of exercises will help you in three ways. Firstly, working on different types of exercises will improve your ability to do other exercises. Improving your cardio will help you with strength training. Secondly, it will help you reduce boredom in your healthy journey. Finally, it will help you avoid the risk of injury. Some people get injuries because they focus on one type of exercise all the time. Some muscles and areas get neglected when we focus on one type of exercise. Including all types of exercise will help you build an overall strong and fit body.
Different Types Of Exercises
Endurance.
These types of exercise are also called aerobic. They increase our breathing and heart rate. Endurance exercises improve the health of our hearts, lungs, and circulatory system. There are three main benefits of endurance exercises. Firstly, they will help us keep healthy by preventing many diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, and some cancers. Secondly, they will improve our fitness levels by building our stamina. Finally, they will help you perform daily tasks such as walking, keeping up with your grandkids, and cleaning your house better.
Endurance exercises include brisk walking, running, dancing, swimming, cycling, playing tennis, or basketball. This is not an exhaustive list. The World Health Organisation recommends adults (18-64) to do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercises a week. Try doing workouts that make it hard to breathe for 150 minutes a week.
Strength.
Strength training can make a huge difference. Developing strong muscles will help us stay independent while making everyday activities easier. Standing up from a chair, going up the stairs, and carrying groceries will be made easier when you have strong muscles. Strength training will also help you with your balance (another type of exercise) and avoid injuries.
Exercises that make your muscles stronger are called strength or resistance training. You can do strength training in three ways. People can lift weights, use resistance bands, and others use their own body weight for strength training. People need to train all muscle groups when doing strength training. Avoid training the same muscle groups two days in a row.
Try to start with bodyweight exercise before moving to small weights. Move to small weights and then gradually increase as you get stronger. The correct form is very important when doing strength training. A personal trainer will help you with the proper form.
Balance.
Balance exercises will help you prevent falls. Falling becomes a common problem when people grow older. Many lower-body resistance exercises will improve your overall balance. Balance exercises include tai chi or yoga. A typical balance exercise is standing on one foot or walking heel to toe with your eyes open or closed. A single-leg squat will help you develop strength, balance, and coordination. Balance exercises prevent injuries and help improve your body’s performance.
Flexibility.
Flexibility exercises will help you move freely. Tying your shoelaces, typing on your phone or laptop, looking over your shoulder, and driving your car all need flexibility. Stretching is a great flexibility exercise. When we are young we overlook being flexible. Aging brings a loss of flexibility in the muscles and tendons. The lack of stretching, even among active people, increases the risk for muscle cramps, pain, damage, and joint pain. Stretching muscles frequently makes them longer and more flexible. Stretching increases the range of motion to reduce pain and risk of injury.
It is ideal to stretch every day before your workouts or on your rest days. Stretching three to four times a week will be good enough. Before you start exercising warm-up your muscles first with a few minutes of dynamic stretches. Dynamics stretches are repetitive motions like marching in place or arm circles. This will help get your blood and oxygen to your muscles. After dynamic stretches do static stretches. Static stretches are holding a stretch position for up to 30 seconds. Stretch your calves, hamstrings, hips, shoulder, neck, and lower back. Try not to push your stretches into a painful range.
No matter where you are in your fitness level, you need to add these different types of exercises. In all the different types of exercises, there will be beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. It is very important that you incorporate all these types of exercises. Start slow, get the form right, and stay consistent. After a while, you will move from being an amateur to a pro. These types of exercises will help you build your fitness level and stay healthy.