This week I would like to share with you a few of my thoughts regarding exercise. A man in his late 30's approached me a few weeks ago after I finished my workout at the gym. He said to me, “Your workout routine is quite a bit different than mine.” Curious, I asked, “How so?” He said, “I notice that you perform a variety of different exercises and body related movements during each of your exercise routines. Is this what you do every time you work out?”

I knew that this would be an appropriate time in which to share my thoughts on exercise. The fact that he went out of his way to comment on my workout routine signaled to me that he might be tired of his own workout routine and was looking for alternate ideas on how to exercise his body…further inquiry showed this to be absolutely true. 

Let me start by sharing with you what information I shared with the gentleman at the gym.

A large majority of the workout routines that I see people performing are, what I feel, designed to build bigger muscles and make a person look good…not a bad thing if this is the end goal that you have in mind for yourself. However, what I am trying to say is this. Looking good should not be the only goal in mind when designing an exercise routine. Here's why.

Having big muscles and a lean figure does not constitute good health. An exercise program that is well-rounded and complete will contribute greater to your overall state of health and well being and bring about the long-term benefits that you’ve come to expect. When exercising, consider the “whole body”. Create your workouts to not only address muscular strength and conditioning but to also provide you with greater flexibility, balance, coordination, power and endurance. Exercise with the intention of bringing balance to each system of the body (muscular, circulatory, digestive, nervous, skeletal, hormonal and lymphatic). Spend more time making sure that you are addressing what I like to refer to as “functionality”. This I believe helps make an exercise program more complete.

Below is an outline of four training principles that I use when designing different exercise programs to use for each week.

1)      A 10-minute active warm up: This should consist of functional exercises to prepare the body for activity. This type of warm-up boost the heart rate, increases blood flow to the muscles and improves function of the nervous system.

2)      A 20- to 30-minute functional strength training segment: The exercises performed here are meant to develop a more functional body. Most exercise routines will have you isolate specific body parts designed to build big muscles usually with emphasis on the body's appearance. To create more “functionality” it's best to train body movements, not just body parts. The strength exercises should include multi-dimensional and rotational movements that emphasize the core of the body.

3)      A 20-minute cardiovascular training segment: I have found interval or cross-training to be the most beneficial for me. Learn to regularly mix your aerobic activities to have a more effective cardiovascular workout.

4)      A 10- to 15-minute flexibility training segment: Perform gentle stretching techniques to promote greater flexibility and an increased range of motion. The benefits of flexibility training are virtually limitless, such as relief of low back pain, muscle cramps, injury prevention, better sleep, to mention a few.

I have tried many different exercise routines over the years. I feel that I have received my best results when using these four training principles above. For additional information, I recommend reading the following two books. They are full of helpful information that will help you design the best exercise program for you.

Core Performance  by Mark Verstegen

How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy  by Paul Chek

And finally, an exciting discovery I will share with you now involves an extraordinary form of exercise called “rebounding”. I have found it to be an amazing compliment to my current exercise routine. Rebounding is one of the most effective and efficient forms of exercise that you can do for your body. The concepts that were presented to me regarding rebounding make good sense. In the near future, I will report back with you the results I achieve when using the Cellerciser Rebounder . If you are interested in reading about the science behind rebounding, check out the book entitled Rebound Exercise  by Albert E. Carter. Carter is recognized as the world’s greatest authority on rebound exercise.