In 2017, fitness could be ‘defined’ as: the condition of being physically and mentally fit with good health–it is the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue, and with ample energy to enjoy life (1).
According to the NIH, there are four types of activities that one should engage in throughout the week: endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Each have been shown to have different health benefits: endurance exercises are shown to help improve the health of our heart, lungs, and circulatory system; strength exercises helps with increasing/improving our overall strength; balance exercises helps to prevent falls; and stretching can help improve one’s flexibility (2).
Therefore, one really doesn’t need to go to the gym or stream exercise programs to be active. There are numerous other activities that can also fall under the umbrella of ‘exercise’ and they include:
Brisk walking/jogging
Yard work
Dancing
Swimming
Biking
Climbing stairs or hills (aka hiking)
Playing outdoor sports (such as tennis or basketball)
Carrying groceries
Gripping a tennis ball
Lifting your body weight
Using a resistance band
Tai Chi
Standing on one foot
The heel-to-toe walk
The balance walk
Standing from a seated position
While I will be incorporating these suggestions into my daily life, and at times substituting for the ‘normal’ workouts, they will be ‘reviewed’ more as blog posts than as ‘fitness pages’. But there may be pages associated with them in terms of potential ‘playlists’ or favorite hiking trails.
Therefore, this page will serve as the ‘home page’ for the various fitness programs that I have either completed and reviewed or am aiming to complete (and review). For the most part, the programs that I will be posting ‘reviews’ on will be programs that have been released by Beachbody.
**Note: I am no longer an independent consultant for Beachbody. Reviews are based on my personal opinion and how well I felt I did when completing the program. Please, see this post to why I decided to step back from being an independent Beachbody consultant.
With that being said, Beachbody is a health/fitness/nutrition company based in California that is dedicated to helping end the epidemic of obesity in the US. They offer both streaming workouts (Beachbody-on-Demand) and various meal plans/supplements.
So which programs am I still aiming to complete?
Beachbody programs to finish (that need streaming):
T20
Let’s Get Up!
Shawn Week
Brazil Butt Lift: Carnival
You V2
4 weeks of prep
6 weeks of the work
Core de Force
Beachbody programs to finish (that I have DVDs on):
22-Minute Hard Corps
Insanity
Insanity: Max30
Insanity: Asylum 1
P90
Beachbody programs that I may repeat (and have DVDs):
T25
Beachbody programs that I may repeat (but need to stream):
LIIFT4
10 Rounds
Morning Meltdown 100
Bucket list of things I’d like to do, but know that I need to be in ‘better shape’ for:
Parasailing
White-water rafting
Canoeing (and camping) in the boundary waters
Hike the Grand Canyon
Swim with the whale sharks
Scuba dive
Try rock climbing
Dive (or jump) into the water from a cliff
***Disclaimer*** Always consult your doctor before beginning any fitness or nutritional program. Anything posted here is based on my experiences and they will differ from yours. **I am not a doctor, therefore you need to inquire with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about any fitness or nutritional plan you find online and if you have any prior history of injuries that may hinder trying any of the Beachbody programs. ***
References:
(1) ‘What does fitness mean to you?’ https://www.patientsengage.com/healthy-living/what-does-fitness-mean-to-you Visited September 18, 2021
(2) ‘Four types of exercise can improve your health and physical ability’ https://nia.nih.gov/health/four-types-exercise-can-improve-your-health-and-physical-ability Visited September 19, 2021