Why is it necessary to have a personal fitness plan and monitor it

A great way to self monitor your exercise is to keep an exercise journal, just like you would a food journal. Write down what you did for each exercise session, how you felt before and after the session, your energy levels, things you found easy, and things you found challenging. Keeping an exercise journal is also a great way to monitor progress towards your goals.

Self monitoring exercise is being aware of all the impacts of exercise physically and psychologically. Once you are aware of the positive impacts of exercise you can continue to move in that direction. Once you are aware of any negative impacts of exercise, you can change or rearrange them so as to move in a more positive direction.

Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.

Studies have shown that physical activity is, quite obviously, one of the primary factors when evaluating a person’s overall health. Do you know why?

With the help of our nutrition team, we compiled a few of the most important benefits from regular exercise. They shared information on how regular physical activity can help almost all systems of the body, from your immune system to your blood and circulatory systems to your mental health. Exercise can also help you avoid physical injuries. Before we dive into the benefits of physical exercise, let’s cover what a fitness plan actually is.

What is a Fitness Plan?

Put simply, a fitness plan is a schedule of planned sessions of physical exercise. These sessions can be relaxed exercise, like a walk around the park, or it can be more strenuous, like interval training or resistance training.

Resistance/Anaerobic Training:

  • Weight lifting and other similar activities
  • Builds lean muscle mass and strength
  • Increases/maintains testosterone levels

Cardiovascular/Aerobic Training:

  • Can be strenuous (i.e. jogging) or more relaxed (i.e. walk in the park)
  • Burns calories and helps you lose weight
  • Regular cardio exercise can reduce likelihood of diabetes

Depending on your age, your exercise needs can differ drastically. Contact us today to schedule a nutritional evaluation so one of our nutritionists can create a custom fitness plan especially for you.

Exercise Habits and Insulin: Reduce Chances of Getting Diabetes

Exercise improves your body’s ability to tolerate carbohydrates, by enhancing the action of insulin. When exercising, your muscles pull blood sugar, or blood glucose, out of the blood and into your muscles. The more you exercise the less insulin you need to manage blood sugar levels. If you have less than normal insulin and glucose levels in your body, your body will limit the amount of carbohydrates converted into fat, which reduces fat storage and enhances fat burning. People with poor exercise habits have a greater risk of developing diabetes, where their body has difficulty utilizing and/or producing insulin. Learn more about diabetes here.

Lastly, exercise is not only beneficial to your muscles. The IGF-1 protein is released after exercise, and stimulates neurogenesis, or the formation of new neural connections in the brain. In addition to the neural benefit of this protein, it also stimulates muscle growth as well as enhancing the amount of oxygen delivered to the brain.

Decrease Risk of Disease

This is one of the greatest benefits of working out regularly. Just by working out, we can enhance our immune system and our brain health.

A few fitness experts have theorized that fitness plans can bolster your immune system due to the fact that you’re breathing harder than usual. Panting, or breathing harder than usual, can potentially flush pathogens out of our airways which reduces the chances for an infection to occur.

Also, in strenuous exercise, our bodies can enhance our lymphatic system. This system is a vital piece of your body’s circulatory and immune function. Since this system isn’t connected to the heart, it needs another source to supply the necessary “pumping” action to maintain its flow. Exercising regularly causes the your muscles to expand and contract, and this muscle movement one of the most effective ways to make sure your immune system is flushing out dangerous toxins and pathogens.

We typically see a lower white blood cell count when someone has completed a high intensity or long duration workout. Because of this, someone who just ran a marathon is much more likely to catch a cold than someone who only went for a light jog.

At the very minimum, we recommend that our patients incorporate at least 15-20 minutes of high intensity fitness or 30-45 minutes of low intensity fitness every day.

Avoid Physical Injuries

This might seem counterintuitive, as more active people might seem more likely to injure themselves during their exercise. While more active people are prone to accidental injuries, like a pulled muscle or a few blisters, they are improving their flexibility and strength.  Because of this, physical exercise is especially good for our older patients.

If you are on a fitness plan, you are a lot less likely to fall or tweak something when reaching up on a shelf, for example. Day to day lot you are a lot less likely to have a physical injury if you exercise.

Creating a fitness plan is one of the best ways to be proactive on your health. Simply by exercising for 30 minutes to an hour each day, you can reduce your chances of getting cardiovascular diseases, injuries, diabetes, and much more.

We have three sports nutrition staff on board who can help you to create a movement plan that meets your needs and health goals. Contact us to schedule time with our team of nutrition experts on your customized fitness program.

  • A customised exercise program developed by an AUSactive registered professional is a great way to stay fit and will bring you a wide range of physical and mental benefits.
  • Before starting with an exercise program, if you haven’t exercised for a while, use the adult pre-exercise screening tool and consult your doctor for a check-up if required.
  • Consider your fitness goals. Are you starting a fitness program to help you lose weight or for some other reason?
  • Start slowly, build up gradually and monitor your progress.

Exercise programs are popular. There are gyms and other fitness providers with many different types of classes, exercise routines and equipment, catering to a wide range of people.

If you are unfamiliar with what is involved, starting an exercise program can be challenging. Talk to an AUSactive registered professiona l to find out about the many options available.

Health benefits of exercise programs

An exercise program that is tailored specifically to your needs is a great way to stay physically and mentally fit. It also provides additional benefits such as:

  • improved condition of the heart and lungs
  • increased muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness
  • increased aerobic fitness
  • improved muscle tone and strength
  • weight management
  • better coordination, agility and flexibility
  • improved balance and spatial awareness
  • increased energy levels
  • improved immunity
  • increased physical confidence
  • reduced risk of chronic disease (such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease)
  • improved sleep
  • improved brain function and health
  • improved general and psychological wellbeing
  • greater self-confidence and self-esteem
  • improved social life.

Before starting your exercise program

Before you get started, if you are new to exercise or are coming back from a long period of inactivity, it will help if you:

Assessing your fitness level for an exercise program

You probably have some idea of how fit you are. However, assessing and recording baseline (starting) fitness scores can give you benchmarks (points of comparison) against which to measure your progress. It’s valuable to assess your progress on a regular basis, for example each month. Remembering progression with some goals may be achieved in shorter or longer periods of time.

Before you start your new exercise program, record:

  • your pulse rate (heart rate) before and after a walk
  • how long you take to walk a certain distance
  • how many bench push-ups or squats you can do in 30 seconds
  • your waist circumference (measured midway between the top of your hip bone and bottom of your ribs).
  • your body mass index (BMI). This is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres, squared. If you would like this accurately assessed, visit your local registered allied health or exercise professional .

(Note: Some medications affect your heart rate. If you are taking any medications that do so, consult a health professional and consider another way of measuring your exertion levels, such as the Borg scale.)
The adult pre-exercise screening tool contains exercise intensity guidelines, including exertion and other descriptive measures.

Consult an exercise or health professional to help you interpret this information or to do a fitness assessment for you, and work out what sort of program is best for you.

Designing your fitness program

Consulting an exercise professional when designing your fitness program can help you reduce injury and customise your program to your needs, especially if you are new to exercise or you haven’t done any physical activity for a while. Points to keep in mind when designing your program include:

  • Consider your goals. Are you starting a fitness program to lose weight or for some other reason?
  • Think about your likes and dislikes. Choose activities you will enjoy.
  • Plan a logical progression of activity. If you’re just beginning to exercise, start cautiously and progress slowly.
  • Build activity into your daily routine. Schedule time to exercise as you would any other appointment.
  • Think variety. By varying your activities (cross-training), you can avoid exercise boredom.
  • Allow time for recovery after exercising and make sure you have an adequate healthy diet.
  • Put it on paper. A written plan can encourage you to stay on track.

Assemble your exercise clothing and equipment

Be sure to pick shoes designed for the activity you have in mind, as well as for your foot type. If you’re planning to buy gym equipment, choose something that’s practical, enjoyable and easy to use.

Getting started on your exercise program

When you are ready to start getting active:

  • Start with low intensity activities such as walking with a friend or family member.
  • Over time, build up to the amount of physical activity recommended by Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines :
    • Be active on most (preferably all) days every week.
    • Accumulate 2½ to 5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity or 1 ¼ to 2 ½ hours of vigorous physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both moderate and vigorous activities, each week.
    • Do muscle strengthening activities on at least two days each week.
  • If you are unsure about any of the above, seek help from an exercise professional. Recognised industry associations such as AUSactive hold a directory of AUSactive registered professionals , where you can search for an exercise professional based on their:
  • level of experience working in the industry
  • delivery, knowledge and skills
  • location.

Remember to:

  • Start slowly and build up gradually.
  • Break activities up if you have to.
  • Be creative – include other activities such as walking, cycling, swimming or dancing in your routine.
  • Listen to your body – don’t push yourself too hard.
  • Be flexible – if you’re not feeling good, give yourself permission to take a day or two off.

For more information, visit our fact sheet Physical activity – how to get started.

Monitoring progress on your exercise program

Assess your progress six weeks after you start your program (by measuring the same parameters as you did to record your baseline fitness) and then every eight to 12 weeks. You may need to adjust the time, intensity and type of exercise you do to continue improving. On the other hand, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you’re exercising just the right amount to meet your fitness goals.

If you start to lose motivation, set new goals or try a new activity. Exercising with a friend or taking a class at a local fitness centre may help.

Where to get help

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:

Why is it necessary to have a personal fitness plan and monitor it

Why is it necessary to have a personal fitness plan and monitor it

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:

Why is it necessary to have a personal fitness plan and monitor it

Why is it necessary to have a personal fitness plan and monitor it

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:

Why is it necessary to have a personal fitness plan and monitor it

Why is it necessary to have a personal fitness plan and monitor it

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