Shore Fit
By Bonnie Dodd-Miller
When you break things down to basics, there are four types of fitness.The one that everyone is familiar with is cardiorespiratory endurance, widely referred to as cardio. How many times have you heard, “If you do your cardio, you’ll lose weight?” This is not necessarily the case, but cardio is extremely beneficial.
Cardio is the ability of the body to supply oxygen and energy for an extended period of physical activity. When you first begin an exercise routine, cardio is likely a huge component of your routine and takes time to build.
I remember when I first started running. It took time and patience. I started by alternating walking with running and set small goals. I would walk 1 mile and jog for half a mile until I built up enough cardiovascular endurance to run the entire time.
Building up cardiovascular endurance takes time. Not to get too technical, but it affects the heart and the lungs, and therefore their ability to provide muscle tissue with enough oxygen-rich blood to perform vigorous activity.
Cardiovascular fitness has been known to significantly increase both the length and quality of life. A strong heart and a healthy set of lungs is a requirement for clear blood vessels that supply muscles with oxygen. I strongly recommend pairing a healthy cardio diet with strength training for a well-balanced exercise program.
This leads me into my next topic of physical fitness: muscular endurance. Muscular strength and endurance is my all-time favorite type of fitness. Strength training is so important because it increases a person’s ability to work against resistance and allows you to become stronger and stronger by constantly challenging yourself with a heavier workload.
Strength training and endurance have a number of positive impacts on the body, including increased bone density to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. It helps us manage our weight as well. Having muscle mass effectively increases your metabolism.
Flexibility is the next component of exercise that I will discuss, and the one that I struggle with. If you, like me, have years of cycling or running under your belt, you most likely struggle with flexibility. A strong focus on yoga and Pilates has recently helped me with hip tightness.
Flexibility is an important component of physical fitness and has many positive effects on the body. It improves posture, coordination, mobility and even wards off muscle soreness from those weight-bearing exercises. It also helps with speed.
If your muscles are too tight, they may not be able to provide the explosiveness necessary for a particular movement. Tight hip flexors, for example, will not allow you to extend to a full stride while running, thus inhibiting performance. It may be the reason why you can’t run under a 10-minute mile, as much as you try. This could be the very root of the problem. Not having flexibility can hinder weight training because you also need that full range of motion for lifting.
Fitness is not just one approach. In fact, it’s the combination that makes one successful. I know many people that only delve into one area, such as spin class, and aren’t happy with their results. Managing your own fitness is not about picking the type of fitness that works best for you (although you will find yourself better suited to some types than others). It’s more about taking a holistic approach that balances each of these types equally.
Each type of fitness brings with it a number of benefits that will enhance your performance in others. I started to understand this because I struggle with speed, and it wasn’t until I realized how tight my muscles were that I understood how one affects the other.
It’s so important to find a balance between them, as opposed to sticking to the type that you most excel at or prefer.
Bonnie Miller is certified fitness instructor at the Ocean City Aquatic and Fitness Center and Atilis Gym in Galloway. She is a mom of three and resides Somers Point.
