7 Fitness Tips for Men
Fitness is the essence of a man.
Fitness is the ability of a person
to do his normal everyday tasks
with full alertness and vigor without
worrying about fatigue and having
extra energy in reserve for leisure
and recreation and for when emergencies
arise. Total body fitness must be
the primary goal every man must
try to achieve. With fitness, no
one is ever too young or too old
for improvement.
One's fitness can be improved by
engaging in aerobic exercises and
through strength training. There
are three components of overall
fitness that every man must focus
on in order to be in healthy, tip-top
shape. These are cardiovascular
fitness, muscular fitness and of
course, a healthy diet.
Staying strong by building muscles.
A man's fitness regimen should include
a work out routine which aims to
build his muscles. Aging causes
a decrease in muscle mass of five
to seven pounds of muscle for every
ten years in one's adult life given
that he lives an inactive lifestyle.
Truly, the saying "use it or
lose it" is very applicable
to a man's muscles. Fortunately,
there is a solution to this. Loss
of muscle mass can be reversed by
engaging in a strength training
program.
Improvement of a man's fitness
by cardiovascular work out. A man's
fitness regimen should also include
cardio training to improve heart
strength, resulting in a stronger
"blood pump".
The best form of cardio training
is called "cardio interval
training", where you alternate
between high intensity work followed
by 2-4 minutes of active recovery
(very low intensity set where you
catch your breath). New research
has shown cardio interval training
to be more effective for improving
cardiovascular fitness and burning
fat than traditional "steady
state" cardio training programs.
Flexibility exercises, strength
training (resistance exercise) and
cardiovascular work surely help
boost a man's fitness and all these
should be part of a man's work out
program. But of all these, total
body resistance exercise is the
most necessary. These resistance
exercises work and develop large
muscle groups as well as the cardiovascular
system.
If a man does not have much time
for working out, devoting whatever
free time he might have to resistance
exercises would do him fine.
The essence of nutrition for men's
fitness. It is well recommended
to eat whole and natural foods frequently
than large amounts of food in one
to three sittings. Always keep variety
in mind when doing the shopping.
This will ensure that one is getting
most if not all of the nutrients
and minerals needed by the body
to keep fit and healthy. Always
keep the three important macronutreints
in the diet; these are fats, carbohydrates
and proteins. Prioritize proteins
over carbohydrates but never exclude
any one of the three, like so many
fad diets recommend.
Some tips in keeping a man's fitness
level high, efficient and safe:
1. Drink plenty of water all through
out the day, especially when working
out.
2. Do exercises properly using
the correct techniques, whether
it's weight lifting or cardio aerobic
exercises. Always read and understand,
and follow of course, the instructions
outlined by your personal trainer.
3. Make sure there is always a
spotter when lifting weights.
4. Challenge the muscles, but make
sure that it's kept safe.
5. Stretch, warm-up prior to working
out and cool-down gradually after
sessions.
6. Check the equipment for safety
before using.
7. It is better to do less than
overdo the whole thing. Overtraining
will exhaust enthusiasm and kill
performance.