5 Components to a Well Rounded Workout Routine

Fitness can be overwhelming. There is so much you COULD do, but what SHOULD you do? This article isn't for athletes or gym gurus. It's for the everyday person that simply wants a healthy, active, pain-free body. Nothing complicated. No specific aesthetic goals. If you truly desire to care for your body then this article is for you.

Let’s get into some tips that I believe will limit increase your ability to function on a daily basis.

Endurance

Your endurance is tested more frequently than you realize. Consider how often are you walking up a flight of stairs, carrying grocery bags an extended distance, attending a party/get together where dancing is involved, or having to run after your pet/child? Muscle endurance is important (the heart is a muscle as well). Sure, you may be strong enough to wield an axe, but how many times can you swing it before you fatigue? Training your endurance has many incredible benefits including:

1. Enhanced cognitive function.

2. Improved heart and lung health aka cardiovascular (less risks of heart attacks or strokes).

3. A nice boost to your metabolism (more calories burned).

4. Runner's high, aka, a boost to your mood (thank you endorphins!).

5. The ability to complete strenuous tasks for a longer period of time (hello movers!).
   

I recommend that you train your muscle and cardiovascular endurance three times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes. If you live an extremely sedentary life, I recommend you boost that to five times a week.

Strength

We all need strength in some way, shape, or form. Whether you are a mom that needs to carry your child, diaper bag, and carseat, a nomad that is constantly packing up boxes and moving from place to place, a senior citizen still taking care of yourself and your home, or someone working a job that "requires you to be able to lift 40lbs", more strength equates to an easier time accomplishing tasks. Let's look at some other benefits of strength training:

1. Better balance and coordination (less falls, spraining ankles, and bruised up knees)

2. Improved core strength. Your core supports everything! This can lead to less lower back pain, better posture, and healthy spine.

3. Increased metabolism due to an increase in muscle mass (hello again to burning more calories!)

4. Higher confidence & overall boost to mental health.

5. Enhanced bone health.

My recommendation would be to strength training at a minimum of two times a week with both days being full body or an upper/lower split. If you are unsure how to design your workouts, then check out this Guide to Lifting.

Mobility

Our joints play a crucial role in supporting nearly every part of our body. They extend from the neck to the rotator cuff, along the spine, out to the wrists and hips, down to the knees, and finally to the ankles and toes. Problems with any of these joints can cause pain, discomfort, and difficulty. When your joints are stiff, it not only restricts your range of motion but can also cause your muscles to overcompensate, leading to injury. Still not convinced? Allow me to expand:

1. Strength Enhancement. When you are able to move through a joints FULL range of motion, you are able to challenge your muscles more. Imagine wanting stronger legs, but your limited ankle and hip mobility won't allow you to engage in a full squat.

2. Less injury. All you did was bend over to pick up a pen & now your back is out of commission for the next week. When your joints are used to twisting, turning, and bending, injuries are less likely to occur.

3. Better movement/performance. Reflect on a time you desired to enact a move, reach for an object, or bend down but your limited range of motion did not allow it.

When it comes to mobility, my recommendation would be daily! These sessions do not have to be long. Five minutes a day can go a long way. It doesn't even need to take place at a gym or during a "workout" session. Have you been sitting at your desk for the past 2 hours laser focused? Get up and do some back and hip mobility exercises to alleviate some tension and keep your body moving! Check out Stayfitnactive's YouTube channel and social media platforms for some quick mobility exercises! Let's not confused mobility with flexibility. We'll discuss that one next!

Flexibility

Unlike mobility, flexibility does not require much strength or control. It is more about your ability to passively hold a stretch, but is still highly important. Similar to mobility, our muscles cannot optimally perform if they are tight and stiff. Alleviating that stiffness through flexibility training is helpful for higher performance and diminishing pain. In a lot of movements, we can train mobility AND flexibility together. For this reason, I give my same frequency recommendation for flexibility as I did mobility: Daily.

Recovery

After stretching, running, biking, lifting weights, performing calisthenics, and training your joints, your body is going to be beat! Similar to sleep, we are only able to fully function at our highest capacity when we have had sufficient amounts of it. Muscles need to repair, hormones need to reach homeostasis, and energy levels need to increase. Sleep is the most effective form of recovery, but it's not the only one. Let's explore some other options:

1. Massage. It's a tremendous way to break up tight muscles, improve blood flood for healing, and relaxing the body. This goes for any other kind of body work. Opt in for monthly massages. If your budget allows for it weekly, even better! Utilize a hand gun as another option.

2. Hot therapy. A sauna, bath, steam room, etc.

3. Cold therapy. A cold plunge, ice pack, cool shower, etc

4. Food and water! I bet you didn't think that would land here. Proper nutrition and sufficient hydration helps the body repair.

5. Compression. This can be things like wearing an ankle, knee, or wrist sleeve.

Recover on a weekly basis for 30-60 minutes.

There you have it. Prioritizing your health can significantly improve the quality of your life in a lot more ways than physically. Give yourself and your body what it deserves for keeping you alive and functioning everyday. The body, quite literally, never rests. Instead of blaming it when something goes wrong, think about what you can do to assist it in caring for you.