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When starting a fitness program of any type, the 5 basic components of physical fitness should all play an equal role in the program’s design and execution. And, while some fitness programs only focus on one or two at most, for optimum results you should choose a fitness program that integrates all five fitness components.

Let’s examine each and consider their function in your overall fitness plan:

Component 1: Strength Training Strength training plays a crucial role in any comprehensive physical fitness program. Studies show that strength training build lean muscle mass, which in turn increases your metabolism and helps you burn more calories. In short, strength training can turn your body into a calorie-burning machine. When choosing a fitness program, avoid it at your peril.

Component 2: Weight Management Weight management involves determining your best healthy target weight, and using a combination of nutrition, strength training, and cardiovascular exercise to achieve and maintain that weight. For many of us, weight management is something we struggle with throughout our lives. However, a good fitness program will address the issue of weight management in a way that is both practical and simple to follow.

If you find this component to be intimidating, just remember that in many ways this component is a natural result of implementing the other components of physical fitness. Once you implement the others, weight management has a tendency to work itself out on its own.

Component 3: Cardiovascular Exercise Cardiovascular exercise has long been focused on as the answer to all fitness challenges. However, it should be mentioned that cardiovascular exercise alone will not result in an overall body transformation. As I stated before, all five components of physical fitness must be integrated into your fitness program for it to be truly effective.

Component 4: Nutrition Nutrition is a curcial element of an overall fitness program, and one that both troubles and confuses many people as they start their fitness program. Low-carb and high-fat or high-carb and low-fat? What about protein? How many calories should I be eating a day? And so on.

Many people simply follow whatever they have heard “works best” from their friends and family, without really stopping to research the science behind some of these plans. Be advised that a good nutrition program is designed for a specific purpose, be it weight loss, gaining muscle, preparing for a sports competition, or simply feeling better. Therefore, form should follow function in your nutrition plan – one size does not fit all.

Component 5: Flexibility Training Often ignored and relegated to “step-child” status in the fitness world, flexibility training is ultimately an equally important component of an overall fitness plan. As we age, our bodies tend to lose flexibility and we lost range of motion in our joints. This often results in problems with posture, chronic back pain, and can possibly even lead to injuries during exrcise and physical activity.

Optimally, you should engage in an activity such as yoga, martial arts, or pilates a few times each week as a compliment to your regular workouts. But at the very least, your fitness program should include flexibility training after each workout (the best time to stretch is after your workout, so remember to include 5-10 minutes of stretching after each workout session).

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About the author: Mike Massie, BAAS, NESTA CPT, is a certified personal trainer and boot camp instructor from Austin, Texas.

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