Fitness

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