The definition of FITNESS:
Good health or physical condition, especially as the result of exercise and proper nutrition...American Heritage Dictionary;
Physical activity will increase your heart rate by distributing more blood, thus strengthening it and transporting more oxygen to your body.
This extra pumping action of your heart after a few weeks will make you feel a noticable difference in your stamina and flexibility and give you the incentive to continue and get as fit as you like.
Losing weight successfully means keeping the weight off, and exercise is a must if you plan on getting to the point where you are as healthy and fit as your bodytype and genetic background allows.
If you are looking to shed pounds and getting a full body makeover, you need to find the type of workouts or physical activities that you will do on a regular basis, so it is important to do the exercises you actually like doing.
When you first start out in your exercise program, be sure to burn more fat by using intense cardio workouts. Resistance type exercises will be kept as a small amount of your program at first until the weight is coming off. Be sure not to over do it in the beginning.
Once you begin to notice healthy changes in your weight and your endurance levels rising, it is time to to bring your fitness program to the next level.
At first, you are going to include the types of exercises that will benefit you the most for losing weight, so you will want to have more cardiovascular type exercises in the program. About 80% of your workout should be cardio and 20% resistance training, then you decide once your getting good results, when to take it to 70% cardio and 30% resistance.
After sometime, your exercise program should have progressed to the point where you are now at your desired weight and now your at 40% cardio workouts and 60% resistance training. You can now decide on the shape you want, simply by adjusting the cardio and resistance to determine how much fat loss or muscle you want.
If you fianally have reached your weight loss goals and think you want to start building some muscle to get that cut look, you will be including up to 80% resistance training and only 20% cardio. Almost 50 minutes of bodybuilding (resistance training) would go into a one hour workout and ten towards cardio.
To reap all the benefits for fat loss and heart and body strenghtening, your workouts must be vigorous enough, often enough and long enough, to have a fitness conditioning effect. Start slow and work your way up.
Some examples of cardio activities are brisk walking, running in place, jogging aerobics, rope jumping, swimming, bike riding, etc.. Find things you enjoy that will get your heart pumping quicker.
People of all ages can benefit from exercise. Research has shown that exercise can strenghten the muscles of frail people in nursing homes. Inactivity is the biggest culprit for the elderly's physical incapabilities. Everyone needs some kind of regular physical activity to ensure your best chances of a healthy, fit aging process.
Losing weight should only be part of your motivation to exercise and follow a good nutrition plan. Research also shows being physically active can reduce premature death by as much as 50%. and stimulate the growth of new brain cells in older adults.
Your body taking on a nice healthy looking shape is only part of the benefits of regular exercise but your mind will benefit as well. Exercise will set loose endorphines, giving you a natural high, similar to what runners call a "runners high".
Not swaying from your fitness program is the only way to insure you won't fall back into the same unhealthy condition. If you quit exercising, it's not long before all you have worked for is gone. All weight problems will return, strength and endurance will be diminished, cholesterol levels and blood pressure will also be back as though you never were involved in exercise.
The fountain of youth is only as hard to get as a good healthy fitness and diet plan.