Types of Exercises and Information About Exercises
Exercise is a multifaceted activity, with many different forms and faces. There are various types of exercise. They are first categorized by their effect on the human body and then broken down into separate disciplines and activities. The importance of exercise cannot be overstated. Regular exercise maintains healthy biological functions and holds off the effects of aging. It makes you stronger, more attractive and resistant to certain types of diseases. Simply stretching is a type of exercise. So before you break out the dumbbells, consult with a physician or a physical trainer to find out which type of exercise is right for you.
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Strength Training
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You can increase the strength of your bones and muscles with exercise. One type of exercise that focuses on this area of fitness is called strength training or resistance training. Strength training is not just about lifting weights. You can strength train at home, in the gym or even your local park. Strength training utilizes free weights, machine weights or even your own body weight to build muscular power and strengthen your skeletal system. Edward Laskowski, M.D. of the Mayo Clinic states that "strength training can help you preserve and enhance your muscle mass, at any age." Strength training has many other benefits, including reducing your chance of injury, helping you lose weight and fight life-threatening diseases.
Cardiovascular Exercise
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Cardiovascular exercise is vastly important to your overall health and fitness. The term cardio-vascular is an amalgam of "cardio" meaning heart and "vascular" referring to the blood vessels. Cardiovascular exercise is aimed at keeping your heart healthy. The heart is a muscle, and just like any other muscle, the heart can fatigue and even lose function from a number of health-related factors. Cardiovascular exercise, also called aerobic exercise, is a proactive way to maintain healthy blood pressure and minimize your chances for heart disease. Cardiovascular exercises include running, swimming, tennis and cycling. To improve your overall health, the American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise performed five to seven days a week.
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Range of Motion
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Workout routines that are targeted at improving the flexibility of your joints and muscles fall under the category of range-of-motion exercises. Having a limited range of motion can cause pain, atrophy of the muscles and skin breakdown. According to the "Merck Manual," some of those restrictions of motion occur after a stroke, prolonged inactivity, injury or age-related problems. Range-of-motion exercises can be as simple as just stretching (active ROM) or take the form of assisted rehabilitation (passive ROM). ROM exercises are commonly used for physical therapy and sports rehabilitation programs. Also, achieving a proper skeletal posture and limbering up the muscles before exercise is a prerequisite for nearly all other types of exercise.
Total-Body Workout
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The total-body workout is an exercise routine for athletes looking to step up their training intensity as well as nonathletes who just don't have much time for exercise. Total-body fitness is all about targeting more than one muscle group at a time. These type of exercises often have a cardiovascular element as well. By combining the functionality of several different types of exercises, you can gain a higher metabolic rate, much faster than with an isolation exercise. Some examples of total-body workouts are sports-specific workout routines for tennis, gymnastics and swimming.
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