Physical Fitness
EXERCISE SAFETY CODE • Always warm up for 15 to 20 minutes with basic calisthenics or stretching exercises. • Stop when you are tired, and before you are exhausted. • Stop if you are in pain. • Stop if you feel dizzy or nauseated. • Take your pulse regularly. • Never exercise if you have a fever or viral infection. • Always wear suitable clothing for the type of exercise or sport. • Always cool down afterward to relax and allow the pulse rate to return to normal.
Achieving maximum physical fitness To achieve maximum physical fitness, a combination of aerobic exercise and isotonic exercise should be undertaken. Aerobic exercise increases the amount of oxygen in the blood and provides an improved oxygen supply to the body’s tissues, helping create a stronger heart and healthier lungs. Isotonic exercises develop muscular strength and flexibility. Aerobic exercise causes breathlessness, but if it is a regular activity, as performance time increases, so does the time before breathlessness starts. Cycling, running, swimming, and jogging are excellent aerobic activities. Rowing, gymnastics, and skiing are sports with high isotonic value, as are exercise programs that include stretching, yoga, and weight training. Weight training should not be confused with lifting heavy weights. Weight training involves working out with light weights of only 2 to 5 pounds (1–2 kg) to begin with and then increasing the capacity to lift something a little heavier or for a little longer. Weights help develop strength and endurance and a firmer, leaner-looking body. When both types of physical activities are combined with a healthy diet and plenty of sleep, peak condition is achieved. People embarking on such a regimen will have few weight problems, will tire less easily, and will feel more relaxed and able to cope with mental activity.
Skiing is an excellent activity for keeping fit, but it is expensive and few people have access to ski slopes all year round.
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