Fitness: which program to adopt?

November 25, 2022November 30, 2022 Stephen PaulHealth & Diseases

Nearly 6 out of 10 French people say they practice a sports activity at least once a week. Their main motivation for putting on their sneakers: to act favorably on their shape and health (53%)^(1). But is fitness only through physical exercise? And above all, what fitness program to adopt to regain health?

Index

What exactly is meant by “being fit”?

Before starting any program, you need to know what is meant by “fitness”. What does it mean to be fit? Simply have a good physical condition, sufficient to compensate for the efforts you want to impose on your body, but also a positive state of mind, because the mind often has an influence on the physical. More concretely, to have the form is:

Do not betiredwhen you wake up, that is,sleepenough and properly.
Be comfortable in your body, not be disabled by overweight or pain.
Have a breathing capacity that adapts well to the effort, whether in daily activities (walking briskly to work, climbing stairs …) or in sports activities (jogging, hiking or pool lengths).
Do not suffer from anypain (muscular, joint) or disease that would alter the quality of life.
Have clear ideas and good morale, do not be constantly parasitized by negative emotions.

To sum up, to be in shape is to be in astate of general harmony: a physical and mental tone sufficient to achieve one’s goals.

Fitness program: the 4 fundamental pillars

A good fitness program must take into account the whole individual. It is not just a question of intensely indulging in sports exercises, every day, to hope to regain tone. True fitness must be a holistic approach: you have to take care of yourself in all aspects, adopting ahealthy lifestyle.

First pillar of fitness: sleep

A human being spends about a third of his life sleeping. Sleep is an essential physiological function to be in shape. Indeed, while we sleep, the body remains very active:

It secretes and regulates its hormonal flows – production of growth hormones, regulation of ghrelin and leptin, secretion of insulin, prolactin, testosterone …
Cerebral maturation is at its peak – memory work, development of learning abilities, sorting of information, increased ability to be alert, mood regulation, etc.
Cellular reconstruction occurs, with the elimination of dead cells and cell renewal throughout the body.
The night strengthens immunity– elimination of free radicals, DNA repair…

Go to bed and get up at fixed times, if possible early.
Allow yourself adequate rest time, at least 7 hours per night.
Prepare for sleep by avoiding stimulants after 4 p.m., intense sport or dinner close to bedtime, use of screens .
Take care of your resting environment: total darkness, silence, cool temperature, airy atmosphere, good quality bedding, adequate clothing.

Second pillar of fitness: stress

A fitness program must also take into account the state of mental health. An individual can display impeccable physical health (no pathology, nooverweight , good cardiac and respiratory tone) but feel deeply illtag. With, ultimately, physical repercussions. Becausestress does not only have psychological consequences: it causes fatigue, migraines, dizziness, digestive disorders, muscle tension, shortness of breath…

Also, a fitness program should take into account the need to regain mental well-being and include activities to let go, whether it is meditation, creative hobbies, yoga or contact with the nature. We can also complete these activities with a “self-care” approach, with self-massages, which relax and develop sensory skills and knowledge of one’s body.

Third pillar of fitness: nutrition and hydration

Of course, an effective and relevant fitness program must take into account diet and hydration. It is about adopting a balanced, complete and varied diet. It must be in accordance with the nutritional recommendations of the health authorities (intake of micro- and macronutrients), but also your daily energy expenditure, your physiological needs, your possible pathologies (cholesterol , Diabetes ) and your (realistic) fitness goals.

Thus, the bolus must contain:

,
Fruits and vegetables, about 5 Food portions per day – more if desired, because the Fiber intake , of which the French are deficient, is always interesting.
Protein, making sure to prefer it lean, on one or two meals. As such, you can of course alternate between proteins of animal origin (white meat, fish, eggs, cottagecheese , etc.) and vegetable proteins (legumes, quinoa, seaweed, to be combined with carbohydrates for better assimilation).
Quality lipids, taking care to control its consumption and favor omega-3 (blue fish, walnuts, rapeseed oil) and omega-9 (olive oil, hazelnuts and almonds, avocado ).
Dairy products, to benefit from their calcium and phosphorus intake, essential for bone health (avoiding fractures and osteoporosis).
Sufficient hydration, around 1.5 to 2 L per day, mainly water-based.

Fourth pillar of fitness: physical activity

We finally come to the last point: the practice of regular physical activity. Because yes, fitness goes a long way through mobilization. But before going into details, two recommendations:

” Basic “Physical Activityalready involves movement on a daily basis. Short trips on foot or by bike, stairs rather than elevator, fun activities with your family or your pet, “active” hobbies (gardening, scooter, DIY, rollerblading, etc.) are all activities which, even if their intensity is low to moderate, contribute to a general well-being and to the maintenance of its shape.

If you haven’t done intense sport for a long time, it is better to consult your doctor first. A small check-up will verify that you are “in condition” to resume a sporting activity of sustained intensity.

Fitness program: an example of a sports routine

Step 1: Warm up and stretch

Before attacking with cardio exercises, it is essential to properly stretch your muscles, ligaments and tendons. To do this, you can take inspiration from yoga movements. They have the advantage of warming up gently, starting to put the muscles under tension and improving flexibility.

The posture of the storkmakes it possible to properly stretch the hamstrings. It consists of:

Start standing and, inhaling, raise your arms in the air while stretching the spine to the sky.
Then, exhaling, to lean towards the ground to the maximum, placing the bust on the knees and hands on the floor (or, failing that, behind hiscalves).
And finally, by going up gently, making sure to unroll his back.

Pigeonpose stretches the psoas, glutes, and hips. Simply:

Start in a sheathing position, in plank, then bring your right knee towards your chest.
Then, put your right leg bent in front of you, on the mat, and raise your chest. Both arms are outstretched, hands placed on either side of the body, and the torso is straight. The left leg is stretched backwards. The posture should be held for a few seconds.
Finally, perform the same maneuver on the other side: left leg bent in front of you, right leg stretched out behind you.

The dancer’s posturegently solicits the quadriceps, while warming up thegently solicits the quadriceps, while warming up the (balance). It consists of:

Start standing, straight, then grab your right foot with your right hand, bending your leg backwards.
Then tilt the body forward while holding the right foot back with the right hand.
And finally, extend the left arm in the air, to find the balance.
Resume the starting posture, changing sides.

Each posture can be repeated three times. Thus the body, well warmed up, is ready for a more intense fitness routine.

Step 2: Examples of Cardio Exercises

Then, we can consider more cardio exercises. There are many, inspired by fitness . An example could be:

2-3 sets of 10 squatstag. If you are a beginner, it may be interesting to use a chair, which will serve as a benchmark. Indeed the squat movement resembles a sitting movement, except that you will not put the buttocks on the seat. The exercise is good for the glutes, but also the thighs.
2-3 series of 10 push-ups or half push-ups, resting on a work surface or stairs. A fitness exercise to build the abdominals, while working the shoulder muscles.
2-3 series of pelvis readings (bridge posture), to tone theglutes.
2-3 series of 10 bust lifts, to gently exercise the abdominal strap. Beware of badly performed “crunches”: you must not create pressure on your cervical muscles by pushing your neck upwards. The bust is raised by the contraction and mobilization of the abdominals.
2 sets of 20 “knee-chest”tag. Just bring one knee Towards your chest, then gently guide it to the opposite side (right knee placed on the ground on the left and vice versa), by gently twisting the bust and hip.
Also include muscle strengthening , through sheathing exercises. For example, between each set, you can include 30 seconds of plank, side plank or chair.

These exercises are only examples, and you can choose others, depending on your level of training and your preferences. In addition, your fitness program may well consist of a sport other than fitness: running,brisk walking ,equipment ( equipment (elliptical trainer, rowing machine, Treadmill, etc.). The important thing: don’t start too strong, especially if you don’t have a lot of practice. It is advisable to proceed gradually, and gradually increase the duration and intensity of the effort. You know your body, so you will easily know when it is time to step up your efforts (sweating, breathing rate, endurance, etc.).

Stephen Paul

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Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.