There is a stereotype placed on aerobics which makes most men believe they cannot take part in it. This is a myth. These days there are many different aerobic programs designed for men to be involved in. No longer is it all about spandex and stretches. Aerobics has gone through many different transformations to get to the point it is at now. This is not to say there are not still light intensity aerobic classes designed with women in mind. There are simply more choices available for everyone who wants a good workout. The important thing is to keep an open mind when approaching fitness as you never know what you will find. You may find the aerobics class at your local gym is just what you have been looking for in order to stay motivated.

For those guys who are still reluctant to try out an aerobics class, keep in mind the best way to show off muscle is to lose the fat hiding it. It is impossible to show off a six pack or chest if there is a layer of fat covering it. Increasing your metabolism is the first step in being able to show off well defined muscles. You can spend all day lifting weights and it can actually cause you to look fatter. This is because you will develop more muscle, but do nothing to get rid of the fat. You need to get your body in motion and increase the amount of calories you are burning. This is why aerobic activity is suggested to those serious about bodybuilding.

In order to attract more men, many gyms have introduced aerobic activities which include weights. These tend to be classes which include the step. You will utilize the step in order to move your body up and down and side to side. Increasing your agility and losing muscle will increase your ability to be active. This can actually open more doors to activities which will help keep you in shape. By increasing your fitness level you will be able to enjoy sports like soccer, football and rugby. It is hard to stay light on your feet when you you are not accustomed to moving around. Do not let stereotypes stop you from trying something new.

If you look on the internet (just perform a Google search on filling a boxing bag) for questions surrounding the topic of punch bags, a vast number of questions are about how to fill a punch bag. The main question people have is what material do I use?

I’ve seen answers given including: “fill it with water” or “use sand” or even better – “grass” – LOL. Water, sand is fine, but it really does depend on the heavy bag and the material the shell was made out of… Trust me, if you fill a regular punching bag with water, you could be in a lot of trouble… and you might need to buy a mop!

You can’t use grass because it will smell. In addition, grass just don’t pack well. The bag will be way too soft. If you disagree, well, do this: Cut your lawn and fill a garbage bag with grass. Try punching it… you’ll get the point.

So for this article, I’m going to tell you what you need to know about filling a boxing bag. And I’m giving it all away based on years and years of experience at both dojos and boxing clubs.

The first important lesson to always keep in mind when filling the punch bags is the outer shell. I’ve had many of my students (unfortunately on a lower budget) come to me saying – what kind of material should I use so my aunt can sew me a bag? My answer – if you want to spend a lot of time & money buying material over and over, then you can do this.

Ok, what about buying a sack? A sack isn’t supposed to be hit with hard punches over and over. It wasn’t made to withstand that kind of pressure. Again, like I said earlier, go this route if you’re wanting to waste time and money. The best thing to do if you don’t want to buy a punching bag that is already filled is get an unfilled bag. They were made to fill!!! Make sense?

And quite often, unfilled bags are cheap… because it’s really the filler for the most part that distinguishes say Everlast from TKO or Aries.

So we don’t have Everlast’s special engineered filler… now what!? The next thing to keep in mind is the strength / stiffness levels of punch bags. Some heavy bags feel like hitting a brick wall… well, to the beginner it may seem this way. Others are like hitting a bag of grass… Well, not that soft (at least we hope not!) but you get where I’m coming from.

There are a variety of different materials you can use to fill a boxing punch bag. Through years of experience filling bags, the hands-down best way, in my opinion, is to fill the boxing bag with a combination of materials.

Here are materials you can use to fill boxer bags with:

* Cotton

* Wool

* Air

* Mattress Foam

* Water

* Clothes

* Saw Dust

* Feathers

* Rice

* Sand

* Styrofoam

* Rolled up and tightly packed garbage bags

* Shredded Tires

Now, let’s bring this together. If you want a good speed bag, fill it with air.. it’s that simple. For heavy bags, this gets a little bit more complicated. I’ll tell you exactly what we used to do with the punch bags at the friendly neighborhood dojo when I was in martial arts school… Just don’t tell anyone I told you.

I want you to look out for something: If you go to a boxing club or dojo, the majority of the answers you will hear from people about filling a boxing bag is to fill it with sand. Sand is I guess you could say, a common filling ingredient… but to people’s dismay, it’s NOT THE ONLY INGREDIENT in the filler. Professionals can get away with filling boxing bags with sand. Sand will make the bag very stiff. If you’re a beginner, no doubt, you will injure your hands.

Here’s what the dojos do… and probably nobody will tell you this about filling a punching bag… it’s very simple! Here it is… short and sweet:

Fill with cloth. Then pack it tight. If it’s too loose you’ll have a deformed punching bag that will be too soft and uncomfortable to hit. The solution?

Use fine sand at the bottom to keep the punch bag essentially a “heavy bag” and keep it’s shape. Fill the outer wall with cloth. Sleep mats or army sacks work very well. Proceed to fill the core of the punch bags you’re filling with a mix of feathers and shredded tires and/or any rubber that’s available.

The most important part of all exercise of course is being prepared. The best way to prepare for your first class is to dress appropriately. You will certainly want to be in loose fitting clothing and comfortable footwear. Try and avoid the big bulky clothing such as hoodies because they will make you far too hot. Plus the pull strings for the hood will swing wildly and hit you in the face. I recommend a simple T-shirt and shorts that are not too short) or some simple sweat pants. Be sure the shorts of pants of choice have enough room to stretch as you raise your legs to the side or the front.

The other things you will want to consider are food and water. Be sure you have a water bottle with you so you can stay hydrated. While you won’t really need food during class, the high level of muscle use in a kick boxing class can take some people by surprise who are used to more traditional cardio. So stay away form that steak and potato dinner right before class to avoid cramping. If you eat a couple of hours before class, keep the foods light and moderate in protein. Something like a granola bar or some fruit usually fits the bill. Other people have good energy and stamina with the classic PB&J sandwich.

Finally, remember to have fun. Leave your ego at the door and simply relax. Too many people will walk into their kick boxing class trying to be the next Chuck Norris. This usually brings about an excessive amount of power in your technique which often leads to injury (for yourself or your partner if you are working with someone) and fatigue. Remember that everyone knows you are new and no one expects you to be perfect or even to know what you are doing. So it’s always okay to make mistakes and look like you are new to kicking and punching. Everyone in that class started out exactly where you are, so they understand. So go easy, have fun and keep the ego in check. You will have much more fun if you simply play around with the techniques rather than try and impress everyone and yourself.

Extra tips:

o Also be sure to arrive early to class to say hi to the instructor and introduce yourself. This will make you feel like less of a stranger and the instructor will feel more comfortable helping you when they know a little bit about you.

Be fit and live free,

Looking to “up” your workout game? Take note there are small tweaks you can do each time you are in the gym to get in a better overall workout session. The great news is these tweaks do not take a lot of time or effort but can certainly help catapult your results one step higher. What four things should you be focusing on?

Let’s take a closer look…

1. Performing Compound Exercises First. If you are going to see optimal results, it is a must you focus on doing your compound exercises first. These moves are going to give you the best “bang for your buck” so to speak, so doing them first will pay off. This way, you can put maximum energy into each rep you perform.

Save the lower intensity moves: bicep curls, lateral raises, and so on, for later in the workout when you don’t need to feel your freshest.

2. Supersetting Lower With Upper Body Movements. It is also a wise idea to begin super setting upper body movements with lower body movements whenever possible. Setting these body movements will enable you to do three things…

• first, it ups the intensity of your workout session since you will go from one exercise to the next with little to no rest in between.
• second, it saves you time. Since you are not resting as much, you will slash your total workout time by at least 10 to 15 minutes.
• third, it doesn’t take away from how much weight you can lift overall. Since one-half of the body rests while the second half works, this allows you to keep the overall intensity higher.

3. Focusing On Breathing. Next, don’t neglect your breathing. Neglecting your breathing will have a significant influence on the overall results you see: it will stop you generating speed and power. Too many people overlook their breathing entirely, which can then short-circuit the results they would otherwise experience.

Remember to breathe regularly and to not hold your breath unless you are at the bottom of a squat.

4. Timing Your Rest Periods. Finally, take note of how long your rest periods are lasting. A rest period should only be around 60 to 90 seconds for compound lifts and 30 to 60 seconds for isolation movements.

Rest for a longer period, and you are going to be sacrificing results – especially if your goal is fat burning. Keep your rest periods short and snappy to get the best metabolic boost possible but still long enough so you can lift heavy and challenge yourself with a sufficient enough weight.

Keep these four tips in mind next time you hit the gym. By putting them into action, you can ensure you are getting the absolute best workout possible.

Sprained ankles are typically treated with the R.I.C.E. method (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation), but is this really the best way? You may feel a little discouraged to know that one of the most common injuries in the U.S. has had so few treatment options and takes such a long time to heal.

R.I.C.E. will eventually heal a sprained ankle, but it has serious disadvantages such as…

• a long downtime and recovery period, at approximately 2 to 8 weeks or longer
• it doesn’t address rehab exercises
• ice has been shown to stop lymphatic drainage in studies
• long-term compression will weaken or even atrophy the ankle
• it can lead to other physical problems, such as hip pain, knee pain, or back pain.
• it decreases the ankle’s range of motion
• it doesn’t repair nerves

A newer breakthrough treatment is H.E.M. Ankle Rehab… The H.E.M. method was developed through years of practical research. H.E.M. is proving a better option for rehabilitating a sprained ankle. Not only does it rehabilitate a sprained ankle in days instead of weeks, but it also strengthens the ankle at the same time, thereby reducing the likelihood of recurring injuries and injury to other parts of the body.

Most importantly, recent research backs up the methods in H.E.M. and shows that R.I.C.E. is fairly ineffective at treating sprains.

The H.E.M. method is easy to understand and follow for anyone, and it addresses the shortcomings of R.I.C.E., including:

• faster reduction of swelling and pain to facilitate rehabilitation (usually 3 – 7 days
• a significantly lower risk of future ankle sprains
• heals the sprained ankle and strengthens it at the same time
• increases healthy range of motion
• increases stability and strength in the ankles
• improves overall movement and athletic performance
• reduces the risk of recurrent injury
• improves posture and gait
• addresses neuromuscular issues

H.E.M. is designed to take only a few minutes a day right in your own home. A sprained ankle, once considered a major rehabilitative task requiring weeks of care, can now be viewed as an opportunity to build strength and guard against future injury, all within days of the injury.

When compared side by side, it becomes apparent that the best and fastest route to healing a sprained ankle is H.E.M. It addresses the underlying issues of healing a sprained ankle by working with the body instead of against it.

In pro wrestling, you shouldn’t be interested in that mindless cardio where your brain goes to a different place. No, you need to focus on your heart and lungs while also concentrating on stimulating your mind. This is a thinking mans sport, all the meat head spots are already taken!

The Pro Wrestlers cardio workout will be intense, but will begin slow. Start off with some basic forward and backward rolls, nothing major, just enough to kick start your heart beats per minute. (About 20 total will do).

The Forward roll. Make a fist in both hands, plant the flat part of your wrist on the mat, kick your feet over your head using the moment to get back to your feet. The backward roll. Start back pushing off your feet to a quick seated position, using the moment to roll back, planting your fist on the mat (protecting your neck) and coming back to your feet.

Next move on to quick core workouts. Push ups: 15 Military Push ups (Kaos Push ups) Straight form, body as flat and stiff as a board. Head up, and knock out the first 15, take a 15 count rest (in the perfect push up position) then move to 14, with a 14 count rest so on and so forth all the way down to 1. Now that you’ve at least broken a sweat. Move on to some Standing squats.

Squats: Minimum of 150. Legs shoulder width apart. Hands either on top of your head, cross your chest or your sides lifting them up (directly in front of you) on the squat down. Back straight, head up, and squat to a seated position, 150 times.

Now that your warmed up, time to start the muscle fatigue cardio. Submission Wrestling. Starting in standing position, the first man (or woman) steps into the squared circle, going 10 one minute rounds with a fresh opponent. (Doesn’t matter if you submit or win, everyone goes the full minute) 30 second rest between matches and first match is 3 minutes. (Total 11 rounds)

Now it’s time to bring it home. Just when you thought you gave all that you can give. Just when you thought you have nothing left in the tank. Just when you thinks it’s all over. This is the time that you have to dig down deep. Bring out your inner fighting spirit! When an every day Joe says I quit, that’s you kick it times 10! That never say die attitude. Bring out the fire that breathes inside. It’s time for the Universal Pro Wrestling sequence.

Start off by whipping your opponent off the ropes with a right handed Latigo (similar to an arm drag for the American Wrestling fans out there). Bypass his return charge to you. Follow up with a drop down and a quick leap frog. Try to blast your opponent with a vicious clothesline. Watch out, cause if he duck he may hit you with a devastating shoulder block. No worries, if he does, do your drop down, leap frog sequence and catch him with a big hiptoss. Cover (Pin) and repeat, 5 times. Switching roles (Doing both sides of this sequence counts as 1) Absorb each fall with your feet as much as possible, you want to take the least amount of damage as you can. And remember, only a trained Pro Wrestler can perform this task. This all done in 30 minutes time. You can’t beat this intense workout.

More and more people are going for brain enhancing products. Gone are the days when brain supplements were used only by the elderly to boost issues such as memory. Brain supplements come with lots of benefits, making them very popular among all age groups. Some of the benefits you can expect from your brain pills include reduced mental fatigue, increased focusing ability, improved memory and recall, thought clarity and improved overall brain health. People using the pills also enjoy higher processing speeds by the brain and the impressive ability to bounce between ideas and thoughts.

There are so many reasons as to why you may consider going for the brain pills. Whatever your reasons may be for the supplements, it is important that you do your best in decision making and usage to get the most from your supplement. Here are a few tips that can help you in getting the best from the brain pills you choose.

Tip 1 – Get familiar with the ingredients

One of the best ways of telling what your smart pills will do for you is to check on the ingredients. There are so many ingredients used in different brain pills and they come with different benefits to the brain. Whereas some will increase circulation within your grain to promote cell membrane fluidity, others may increase neural communication through increased nerve ending growth rate. Find out what the ingredients in your supplement do to improve your mental wellbeing so that you are able to select the best pills for the kind of results you expect.

Tip 2 – Source your pills from reputable brands and suppliers

You will find popular brain pill brands in the market and you can settle for those to enjoy maximum benefits. You also want to ensure that you buy them from suppliers you trust so you do not end up with counterfeit pills that will do little to your brain. If possible, buy the supplements directly from manufacturers or authorized dealers so you enjoy genuine top quality products in the end.

Tip 3 – Follow the directions of use

Your manufacturer knows the product better and you should therefore ensure that you follow the directions for use to the letter. High dosages do not translate into faster results so make sure you stick with the directions offered.

Tip 4 – Get a go ahead from your doctor

This is very important, especially for those not in good health or physical condition. Your physician can offer helpful guidelines on what smart pills are best for you and how to actually use so you do not end up making your condition worse.

Tip 5 – Drink plenty of water

The truth is brain supplements increase blood flow to your brain. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day makes it possible for the supplements to work effectively and also minimizes possible side effects. Dehydration is a leading cause of reduced brain performance so be sure to stay hydrated all through.

In this Whisper I would like to touch on how exercise affects your state of mind.

Sadly, only one third of American men and women between the ages of 25 to 64 engage in regular, planned exercise according the Center For Disease Control.

In addition to being necessary to keep your body in good physical condition, your heart strong, and your energy high, exercise also greatly affects your mindset and your ability to control your emotions.

Exercise has been proven to lessen symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. It also will improve your emotional state of mind, your mental clarity, and result in increased happiness with your life.

Regular exercise causes your body to naturally produce endorphins which are known as your ‘feel good’ hormones.

When you exercise, chemical changes occur in your brain. Levels of serotonin and dopamine quickly increase which directly affects how happy you feel and how calm you are.

When you get into this emotional state of mind from exercise you are able to focus and concentrate for longer periods of time.

When you exercise you become more aware of your body which causes you to be more aware of your thoughts and actions. Your mindset experiences a morale boost.

Only one singe good workout has been proven to lessen any stress, anxiety or depression you may be battling and you will feel less angry, tired or tense.

Exercise balances your body and mind together in a form of moving meditation and creates a mind/body harmony.

When you exercise you boost your self esteem and positive image of yourself quickly.

When you exercise outdoors you become more aware of nature and the fresh air and sun and you increase your consciousness.

Exercise also increases chemicals in your brain that support and prevent degeneration of the hippocampus, an important part of your brain for memory and learning.

With all these benefits to both the body and mind many people still have trouble making regular/planned exercise a daily part of their life.

If you currently are not participating in a regular exercise regimen here is a secret that will help you begin… slowly and easily with very little effort.

Promise yourself you will respect your body and mind by exercising only 5 minutes a day!

Every one of you can devote a mere 5 minutes daily for a week to get something so important started in your life.

Pick a few basic exercises and promise yourself you will begin giving yourself this gift of life starting tomorrow.

Stick to the 5 minutes each day no matter what you have to adjust or when or where you have to do the exercise. Everyone can find 5 minutes a day.

If you do this you will feel better physically and mentally after only 1 week.

The next week increase your routine to 10 minutes. Do not take any days off.

Take careful notice as to how you feel after only 2 weeks.

The third week increase your exercises to 15 minutes. Do not take ANY days off.

After the third week you will have built new neural pathways of this thought into your brain and will have begun to form a new habit in your lifestyle.

If you do this I promise you will feel the difference in how your body feels and how your mindset has changed.

This will give you a taste of the potential you have in front of you to make major changes in how you feel and how you think through exercise.

You will have more energy, self esteem, self confidence, less stress and anxiety and depression. You will think with more clarity and life will slow down and you will have more self awareness.

There are many more benefits just waiting for you to enjoy, and if you only take the few minutes I have suggested and you stick with it you will be on your way to a much healthier body and mindset.

Congrats! Another good day of working on your all important mindset.

… LIVE the Whisper

I love blasting music while I work out. The music energizes me, makes me want to move my body. Whether free style dancing, or following any circuit training, good music keeps me pumped up to work up a nice sweat. So here are the top 10 energizing songs in English to listen while working out from my own iTunes collection.

# “Telephone” by Beyonce and Lady Gaga.

# “Single Ladies” by Beyonce.

# “Sway” by Pussycat Dolls.

# “California Girls” by Katy Perry.

# “London Bridge” by Fergie.

# “Glamorous” by Fergie (Great for weight training routines).

# “Don’t Phunk With My Heart” by Black Eyed Peas.

# “Tik Tok” by Kesha.

# “Sugar” by Flo Rida.

# “Runaround Sue” by Dion (pretty old, but it’s a real peppy number).

And that’s not all. I am not partial to English songs. I love Hindi music too. In fact, I always mix my English and Hindi music to create an effective music list for my workout.

And here are the top 10 energizing songs in Hindi from my iTunes collection to listen while working out:

# “Uff Teri Ada” from “Karthik Calling Karthik”.

# “Behke Behke” from “Aisha”.

# “Sheila Ki Jawaani” from “Tees Maar Khan” (Jokes apart, this number has a good thumping beat for an intense workout).

# “Heyy Babyy” from “Heyy Babyy”.

# “Nobody Like You” from “Mission Istanbul”.

# “Shut Up And Bounce” from “Dostana”.

# “Wake Up Sid” from “Wake Up Sid”.

# “Twist” from “Love Aaj Kal”

# “Sexy Lady” from “Race”.

# “Tha Kar Ke” from “Golmaal Returns”.

Yeah, some of these songs are old, but hey, these keep me pumped up during the entire workout. Sometimes I don’t even realize the time while working out. You can use these songs to create your own music list to listen while you’re working out. Whether brisk walking, or weight training, all these songs can keep you company while you’re working up a good sweat.

Time just flies away while listening to good music, don’t you think so? If you love listening to music in general, why don’t you try listening to music while working out? You won’t be looking at the watch to keep track of time while you work out, and trust me, you’ll enjoy a more intense and complete workout. Try my collection as starter ideas for your own music list.

On that note, do remember not to encourage piracy. Buy the original music CDs, or buy straight from iTunes store. You love the music, don’t you? So help out your favorite singer, or band, to fight against music piracy by using original music only.

While the definition of physical fitness can be a little complex or unclear and the definition of physical fitness can vary, most government health agencies and exercise scientists agree that there are 5 components of physical fitness related to health. These components provide a fairly accurate representation of how fit and healthy the body is as a whole (total or overall fitness). The 5 components are cardiovascular fitness (also referred to as cardio-respiratory endurance or cardiovascular endurance), muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

Let’s take a closer look at these components individually.

1.) Cardiovascular fitness (or cardio-respiratory endurance or cardiovascular endurance)

Of the 5 components, cardiovascular fitness is the cornerstone that creates the pathway to improving your other fitness levels.

Cardiovascular fitness is the efficiency with which the body (the heart and lungs) delivers oxygen and nutrients to the required working muscles and transports waste products from the cells over a sustained period of time. Or to put it another way, it’s the ability of your heart and lungs to work together to provide the necessary oxygen and fuel to your body without quickly reaching a high level of fatigue and tiredness.

In our daily lives, we need cardiovascular fitness to handle the physical tasks and all of the “running around” we do.

A common test of cardiovascular fitness usually involves some type of sustained running. But typical examples of physical activities that relate to cardiovascular fitness are jogging, swimming, cycling, brisk or speed walking and any type of aerobic exercises. Aerobic exercise is the best way to improve cardiovascular fitness.

2.) Muscular strength

Muscular strength is the maximum amount of force (weight or heavy resistance) a muscle or muscle group can generate in a single effort to the point that no more repetitions can be done without rest. Muscular strength is quite the opposite of cardiovascular fitness in regards to the fact that cardiovascular fitness is measured over a certain period of time. While on the other hand, muscular strength is measured in one repetition.

In our daily lives, we need modest levels of strength to be able to perform everyday physical tasks like lifting, moving, carrying, etc.

A common test to measure upper body strength is some type of weightlifting exercise, such as the bench press. Anaerobic weightlifting exercises like the bench press, leg press, shoulder press, or bicep curls are examples of the best ways to improve muscular strength.

3.) Muscular endurance

Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to perform repeated movements (or to hold a particular position) with less than maximum force for an extended period of time or until muscular fatigue. Or, to put it simplistically, it’s how long your muscles can do something before getting too exhausted to finish.

Be careful not to confuse muscular endurance with muscular strength. While they can work together, they are definitely not the same. For many athletes, there may be a need to distinguish between muscular strength and muscular endurance. But for everyday people who want to easily perform their daily routines, are trying to stay healthy and fit, and just want to enjoy physical activities like hiking, biking, or just playing in the park with their children, muscular endurance plays a major role in fitness.

Common testing for muscular endurance can be dynamic (the ability to repeat contractions) or static (the ability to sustain a contraction). Dynamic tests would be to see how many push-ups or sit-ups, for example, a person can complete in a designated amount of time (e.g. 30 seconds, a minute, or maybe longer). Or, without being timed, the person could do as many repetitions of the exercise as they could until they couldn’t do anymore. An example of a static test would be the flexed-arm hang whereby the performer hangs on a bar until the designated stopping time or until they become too weak to continue hanging.

Muscular endurance can be improved by both aerobic and anaerobic exercises. Some examples would be biking, step machines and elliptical machines.

4.) Flexibility

Flexibility is the ability to move the joints or any group of joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons through their full, normal range of motion without hindrance, discomfort, or pain.

Flexibility is actually more important to physical fitness than people realize. Not only does flexibility play a big role in performing many daily tasks, but maintaining or even increasing your flexibility is critical to protecting your joints and keeping them healthy. In addition, being flexible contributes to improving your lower back health, reducing the appearance and effects of arthritis, and reducing muscle-tendon injuries.

Not everyone has the same flexibility or flexibility requirements. Your flexibility tells you how limber you are. And, when it comes to testing your flexibility fitness level, the sit-and-reach test is most often used.

Stretching is the best way to improve flexibility. And, most fitness experts recommend a daily routine of static stretches for each joint.

5.) Body composition

Body composition is the percentage of fat in your body compared to your lean body mass (muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, organs, etc.).

Body composition is a better indicator of your overall fitness condition than body weight. So understand that your total body weight or what you see on your bathroom scale does not tell you how much fat or lean body mass (muscle) you have.

Body composition is useful in helping to determine health risks. Therefore, knowing your body composition and how it relates to your overall fitness level is essential. An optimal ratio of fat mass to lean mass is a clear indicator of good fitness.

Your body composition is a consequence of the extent that you perform the other components of physical fitness. In other words, when you improve the other four components, it will have a positive impact on body composition resulting in less body fat. Alternatively, when you have a high body fat content ratio, you are considered overweight or possibly obese. And, it negatively affects the other fitness components as well as your daily performance, your appearance, and your overall health.

There are several methods that can be used to calculate body composition. The best method is underwater weighing. But due to the expense, this isn’t practical for the everyday person. Incidentally, if you can go to a university or some other place that is set up to do it, it would be well worth your time to check it out. Therefore, the most common method of determining your body composition is skinfold readings – using skinfold calipers and taking measurements from certain areas of your body.

A regular program involving aerobic exercise and strength training can help you decrease your body fat and increase your muscle mass; and thereby, significantly improving your body composition and general overall health and fitness.

In conclusion, you now know that being fit is not just about being able to bench press a lot of weight, but you also need to know how well you can handle running a mile, for example, and a few other things. The key is that by understanding the 5 components of physical fitness, you’ll be better able to assess your fitness level and determine what specific health and fitness goals you’d like to achieve.