There was a time when even a secretary could burn off a couple pounds of fat each year on her job. She walked from office to office, went out to eat lunch, and used a manual typewriter. Those days are long gone ― activities that gave most people a minimal amount of necessary exercise are no longer a part of our routine.  At the beginning of the twentieth century, there weren’t cars or elevators, so people needed to get where they were going by foot. Manual labor made up 87 percent of the gross domestic product of the United States. In recent times, the workplace has become a totally sedentary environment where one sits by a computer all day, has interoffice phone and e-mail systems, orders lunch out, and has it delivered to the desk.

The immediate results of these lifestyle changes are a lack of cardiovascular fitness and deterioration in muscle mass and strength. The ramifications of this are a higher risk of heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, and many other health difficulties. Take Chaim’s story, an example of an all too familiar scenario:

At age 42, Chaim enrolled in my personal training program. Over the years, he had put on some weight and was feeling a little sluggish. At his wife’s behest he had just been to the doctor for a physical. The doctor found that his cholesterol was unacceptably high, and he was also in danger of developing type 2 diabetes. His blood pressure had also crept up to a point where medication would soon be needed.

Chaim’s physician instructed him to begin making lifestyle changes immediately, emphasizing a change in diet and the introduction of regular exercise. A follow-up visit was scheduled for six weeks later. Having gotten a good scare, Chaim decided to heed the doctor’s advice and was determined to begin an exercise program immediately. But when he got home and spoke about it with his wife, he realized that he had no idea what the phrase “get some exercise” actually meant. Where to begin? How much exercise? How often? What type? What about all this talk of kickboxing, pilates, yoga, aerobic dancing, toning classes, and martial arts?

Whilst all those types of exercise that he had heard about certainly have their benefits, what Chaim needed to do was follow a well-rounded, comprehensive program that included all aspects of exercise. A comprehensive exercise program includes a combination of the three basic types of exercise: aerobic (cardiopulmonary), resistance training (weights), and flexibility training (stretching). In the next installments we will take a closer look at each one of these categories and examine what they are and how they improve our health and fitness.

To be continued…

Alan Freishtat is an ACE-CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER, LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH and WEIGHT LOSS COUNSELOR with over 10 years of professional experience, whose success rate in weight loss exceeds the industry standard.  He is the director of the Jerusalem-based weight reduction clinic “Lose It!”.  Alan is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs.  He also conducts group lectures, seminars and workshops.
Office: 972-2-651-8502 / Cellular: 972-50-555-7175 / email: [email protected]