The Three Facets of Fitness

Some people have big muscles from weigh lifting at the gym, but during a bike ride get winded quickly. Others run marathons but are not of much help moving a couch. Either one of those types might also lack the flexibility needed to carry out life's other activities and therefore is always at risk of pulling a muscle when doing something unfamiliar.

Our Fitness For Life philosophy calls for equally working on each of these three areas: strength, endurance and flexibility. When you only excel at one component you are not the healthiest you can be and are at greater risk of injury. Many of us have had a period in our lives where we fall in love with just one type of activity, like biking or yoga, and just want to focus on that. But what we need to remember is not only are we generally better off mixing in other activities, but also that our favorite activity can only benefit from exercise diversity.

As we discussed in our previous post on running a marathon, strength training can help long distance runners stabilize their joints and fatigue later. Along the same lines, better cardio endurance can help weight lifters train for longer, and the flexibility and core strength you can attain from yoga can make it easier for you to perform a squat the right way, Focusing on all three areas creates a virtuous cycle of fitness. If you pay close attention your favorite elite athletes train in this manner. Pitchers go on runs in between starts and football players spend a lot of time stretching. If you find it difficult to achieve the right amount of diversity or are unsure what areas you are lacking in then don't hesitate to consult with one our fitness professionals. Unlike some trainers at other places ours focus on constantly changing their clients workouts to address all areas of fitness, especially the areas each client has a hard time addressing on their own.