The Essential Components of an Effective Fitness Program

People who desire to lose unwanted body fat and tone their bodies are often overwhelmed by television commercials that market fitness equipment and magazine articles that tout the latest diet plan.  

It's Not As Hard as You Think

Many believe that it is difficult to maintain a lifestyle that supports body toning and weight loss.  In fact, with a little bit of time management and discipline, just about anybody can incorporate a fitness program into their schedule that will provide the benefits of weight loss, a toned physique and increased energy.

Exercise

To increase muscle tone and lose body fat, resistance exercise must be incorporated into a person’s fitness program.  It is important to perform exercises that target all of the body’s muscle groups in order to achieve the greatest benefit from the workout plan.   Exercises such as squats, leg presses and lunges target the muscles of the legs and core. 

Muscles of the upper body can be exercised by performing movements such as bench presses, shoulder presses, rows, bicep curls and tricep push downs.  These exercises are just a few of the basics.  It is best to implement a plan that targets each major muscle group one to two times per week.

Those who have access to a variety of fitness equipment have far more exercise options to help them achieve their goals.  Many retailers offer inexpensive fitness equipment for the home or office use to facilitate exercise scheduling.  Additionally, exercise guides often accompany such equipment demonstrating the movements that can be performed on each piece.  Inexpensive fitness equipment is an easy solution for those on a budget.

 

Nutrition

While exercise is important in developing and maintaining a toned physique, a sound diet plan facilitates muscle recovery and weight loss.  

For those who wish to lose body fat, a calorie restricted diet is best.  Food sources should contain low-glycemic carbohydrates, moderate amounts of dietary fat, and quality plant and animal proteins.  A healthy diet plan should be low in sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat.

The combination of a resistance exercise program and sound nutrition plan will result in reduction of body fat, increased energy, greater muscle tone and enhanced self-esteem.   Implementation of an overall fitness plan may be overwhelming or intimidating at first, but with a little bit of determination and discipline, the desired results will follow shortly.   

Also Read:

Health Benefits of Resistance Training

Common Sense Tips to Create a Caloric Deficit for Weight Loss