Unfortunately, there’s not one answer to this. There are different types of fitness – cardiovascular, muscle strength and endurance as well as flexibility – and you get to be fit in these three areas by performing different types of exercises. In this article, we’ll give you some ideas about how you can become fit.

Run baby, run!

The term ‘cardiovascular fitness’ refers to a state where your heart is able to cope with pumping increased amounts of oxygenated blood around your body. The fitter that you are, the more able you will be perform increased levels of cardiovascular exercise without fatiguing quickly. The less fit that you are, the more likely it is that you’ll not be able to exercise for a very long period.

Examples of cardiovascular exercise are:

• Swimming,
• Cycling, and
• Running.

Lift ‘em weights!

Weightlifting allows you to increase your levels of muscular strength and endurance. The stronger that your muscles are, the more able you will be to endure extended bouts of weightlifting exercises. Examples of weightlifting exercises include:

• Bicep curls,
• Leg extensions,
• Pull-downs.

We often hear women saying that they refuse to lift weights because they think that they will bulk up and look like bodybuilders. Yes, it is possible for women to get ripped muscles and develop large shoulders and biceps. However, they have to work consistently on this and take various sports nutrition supplements.

Weightlifting in the ‘usual’ ranges won’t make women bulky at all. In fact, it will help them to tone up and look sleeker. This is because lifting weights results in the development of lean muscle mass. This type  of muscle is responsible for burning more fat, when a person is at rest, than if they didn’t have any lean muscle mass. In addition, weightlifting is also responsible for improving bone density. This helps in the prevention of diseases such as osteoporosis.

Let me see you do that Yoga!

If you are flexible, your joints have increased range of motion than someone who is not flexible at all. Being flexible helps you later in life with assisting with preventing age-related diseases such as arthritis.

Yoga is an ancient exercise form that was developed by monks to ease their cramping limbs after they had spent hours and hours, in one position, in meditation. The physical practice of Yoga is based on certain positions called asanas. During a class, the instructor will take you through various sequences of the poses. If you are not able to perform them as indicated, tell the instructor and they will give you a work-around so that you can develop your familiarity with the pose.

The other main component of Yoga is meditation. This practice calms a person’s mind, frees them from the worries that plague them on a daily basis and allows the practitioner to focus on what their bodies are saying. Meditation is a well-known practice for eliminating stress because this practice eliminates anxiety-provoking thoughts. As such, it eliminates the source of stress.

You don’t have to spend hours and hours, sitting cross legged with your eyes closed, in order to reap the benefits of meditation. You can even meditate when you’re walking or sitting and staring at the ocean. The main thing is to empty your mind.

There are so many ways to get fit. The best thing for your to do is to aim at attaining all-round fitness. If you’re unsure of how to do this, speak to a personal trainer and they’ll be able to assist.

Please remember that you are never alone on your fitness journey – should you need help please employ the help of a qualified personal trainer that will be able to assist you with your new fitness routine.