How to get fit

Knowing exactly how to get fit doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply put, getting fit requires movement. Running, cycling, dancing, walking, weightlifting and stretching are all fantastic forms of movement that get the heart pumping, blow away the cobwebs, and help with simple tasks like carrying the shopping or climbing a flight of stairs when the elevator is out of service. 

At the other end of the spectrum, being fit can also help you climb a mountain, run a marathon or win gold at the Olympics - so getting fit can have a different meaning for everyone.

Here, personal trainer and gym instructor, Joanna Ebsworth will be explaining exactly what it means to be fit, and how you can successfully start and maintain a home fitness routine so you can enjoy the physical, mental, and emotional benefits that come from doing regular exercise.

So, you’ve decided you want to get fit. But what exactly does that mean? After all, there are many different definitions of fitness - aerobic fitness, muscle strength, and flexibility, to name a few. Each type of fitness works the body through a different training approach, and each has a very different effect on the body through dedicated training.

Cardiovascular fitness, or aerobic fitness as it’s sometimes called, is a measure of how well the heart and lungs can provide enough oxygen-rich blood to the muscles so the body can perform aerobic activities such as a longer session on a rowing machine or running on one of the best treadmills.

Aerobic fitness relates to your ability to perform quick, powerful bursts of activity (think running for the bus or lifting a heavy object), and it can be improved through sprinting, weightlifting, plyometrics (also known as jump training), and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) which requires you to alternate bursts of movement with short rest periods.

Muscular strength measures the amount of force you can exert to lift a heavy weight, while muscular endurance measures the number of times you can lift a weight before getting tired. Often called weight-bearing exercise, it can have several positive benefits on the body, including a reduced risk of osteoporosis and an increased metabolism at rest.

Flexibility measures the range of movement in your joints and muscles so you can perform bending, twisting, and reaching movements. While we often think of flexible people as bendy contortionists or yoga devotees who can put their feet behind their heads, a decent level of flexibility also means being able to do simple tasks such as tying your shoelaces.

A balanced workout program mixes all of the above approaches - even long-distance runners need to train for strength and flexibility to aid their cardiovascular performance and help keep injuries at bay. Indeed, it’s no coincidence that professional CrossFit athletes are hailed as the ‘fittest on earth’ when they must sprint fast, run long distances, lift heavy weights and perform gymnastics-style movements like handstand walking.

Of course, when you’re thinking about how to get fit, a lot depends on what you personally want to get out of being fitter. Do you dream of running a marathon to tick it off your bucket list? Or do you simply wish to get fitter so you can keep up with your kids?

This is the point where you need to set your fitness goal, because, without one, you may lack the direction, focus, and motivation needed to achieve it, regardless of whether you’re a total beginner or a seasoned athlete. For a long time, setting goals the ‘SMART’ way (breaking them down so they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-constrained, such as ‘I will lose 6 lbs /2.72 kg in four weeks’) has been deemed an effective motivational tool.

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