Putting Together Your Workout

Congratulations!  You've made it to 2012, and may even have plenty of new resolutions waiting to be accomplished.  If you're like many, beginning a new exercise routine, exercising consistently, or losing weight may be part of the New Years' resolutions you've committed to.  Whether you've exercised for years, or are just starting after a long break, there are some elements that you should include in your training.

1. Flexibility - Stretch, stretch, stretch!  This is an integral part of every exercise routine.  Static  stretches should be included at the beginning and end of every workout for warm-up and cool-down of muscles.  Dynamic stretches should be included as the beginning of every workout for a warm-up.  I am also an advocate of incorporating Yoga exercise at least 1 day per week as part of a well rounded exercise routine.
Benefits of flexibility: injury prevention, pain management for activities of daily living, reduced 
soreness post-exercise, performance enhancement during workout.
Dynamic stretch examples: a dynamic stretch incorporates movement as part of the stretch to
warm up but is NOT bouncing in a static stretch; for example, walking lunges, half squats, arm circles, etc. 
Static stretch examples: a stretch that you hold for 10-30 seconds without moving; for example, quadriceps stretch, double leg hamstring stretch, tricep stretch, etc.
Yoga advice: find a DVD or instructor who is QUALIFIED to be teaching yoga; there is also a
difference between meditation yoga and exercise yoga.  Be careful what you choose; I highly recommend exercise yoga for training. 
 
 2. Strength - Weights will be your best friend as you work out, especially if you are trying to lose weight.  I highly recommend free weights and body weight as the primary weight bearing activities in an exercise regimen.  I rarely encourage machine weights except for the purpose of muscle rehabilitation.  Free weights and body weight activities have been shown through research to provide benefits of strength in everyday activities; machine weights do not, but are more useful for rehabilitation purposes.
Benefits of strength: injury prevention, increased calorie expenditure during rest, reduced symptoms of arthritis and osteoporosis, prevention of joint damage, increased lean muscle mass
Free weights: using dumbbells, medicine balls, barbells, exercise bands; examples - bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, hip adduction, etc. 
Body weight: using body weight as the primary training tool; examples - push ups, tricep dips, 
lunges, pull-ups, etc. Yoga exercise is also a great way to strength train.

3. Balance - Typically this includes a lot of core (between your knees and your neck) training as these muscles provide most of your balance.  Balance activities also retrain your brain to provide coordination in daily activities.  As we age, our brain must relearn the balance that came intuitively when we were younger.  The benefits of balance are mostly seen in older age and are the primary prevention of falls, hip replacements, etc. in the elderly.
Benefits of balance: injury prevention, increased coordination, prevention of irregular stride or gait, prevention of excess flexibility in joints, prevention of falls in older adulthood, increased independence in older adulthood 
Examples of balance training: Yoga exercises or Pilates are a great way start; other ideas include a workout DVD for core training using an exercise ball, or core training classes at a local gym.   

4. Aerobic Training - this can be any number of things, walking, running, aerobics DVDs, spin classes, etc.  Joining a gym is a great way to get started with this, or invest in a quality set of workout DVDs.  The goal is to get your heart rate up and keep it up. 
Benefits of aerobic training: lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, promotes weight loss, 
arteries and veins become more compliant, increases cardiovascular fitness 
Considerations of aerobic training: Intensity of your workout is more important than the 
duration of your workout; translation - how hard you work out is a greater determinant of weight loss than how long you work out.  I know for many this may seem counterintuitive, but it is what research has shown to be true.  You want to have a harder workout, even if it is shorter, in order to effectively lose weight.  If weight loss is your goal, you will see better results when combining strength training with aerobic training because muscle ultimately burns more calories than fat.  Also realize that the cardiovascular benefits can begin after one week of consistent aerobic exercise; you'll notice this before you begin to see weight loss.  Lastly, don't do the same thing everyday; your body is smart, and as it becomes more efficient in performing exercise, it burns fewer calories.  Changing up your workout routine every 4 weeks or so helps prevent this "plateau."


You will ALWAYS get the most out of your workout in terms of weight loss and getting healthier when you combine each of these training concepts in a week of exercise.  It's the New Year with new exercise resolutions...BRING IT ON!!