Zumba, Pilates, Cross Fit, Bikram Yoga, and the list goes on
and on and on… Do all these fitness trends leave you confused about which exercise
plan you should be following?
That’s no surprise! Who wouldn’t be confused? I am. So who
better to ask then an expert that knows exactly what she is talking about
without trying to sell you something?
Dr. Kelly Traver, MD, currently serves as an adjunct
clinical assistant professor of medicine at Stanford and she has been
practicing medicine for more than seventeen years.
So what does Dr. Kelly recommend in terms of a personalised
fitness plan?
"When you design your own personal fitness program, you need
to think about the three basic components: cardiorespiratory, strength, and
flexibility.The Basic Fitness Plan below incorporates all of these basic
components to keep you healthy no matter what your age" she says.
Sounds good to me. Let's take a look at the plan:
Cardiovascular Activity (increases fitness level):
- Walk at a brisk pace or do some other moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every day for 30 minutes.
- Eventually, add on 20 to 30 minutes of higher-intensity aerobic exercise three times a week.
Resistance (increases strength):
- Do 15 minutes of resistance exercises two to three times a week on nonconsecutive days.
- If you want to increase your muscle mass, you can increase the duration, frequency, and resistance.
Stretching (increases flexibility):
- Stretch for at least 5 minutes every day.
- For added benefit, you can increase the duration of the stretching period.
What do you think about the plan? Would you give it a go?