The importance of a balanced workout

BALANCE in life is a necessary yet hard-to-obtain goal. Trying to balance work schedules and personal responsibilities is difficult enough without trying to squeeze in regular workouts. Still, a little effort can reap great rewards for the mind and body.

Experts say that a diverse, balanced workout makes the difference in a fitness regimen being an enjoyable pastime or a chore. Not only does varying your workout reduce boredom by breaking the monotony, but it also reduces injuries from overworking the same muscles and joints while others go neglected.

Cardiovascular and strength training can be detrimental when done excessively and not in tandem with the other. A well-rounded workout plan consists of the "building blocks" of fitness: cardiovascular training, strength training and stretches. Each plays a significant role in maintaining good health and preventing injuries.

Personal trainer Reginald Allen, a specialist in performance nutrition, explains the functions of cardiovascular and strength training. "Aerobic exercise burns fat by increasing your body's fat-burning enzymes and improving oxygen delivery," says Allen, founder and owner of Mind B4 Body Fitness Studio in District Heights, Md. "Strength training helps add muscle. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism, which translates into greater fat-burning potential."

Cardiovascular training helps to ward off many age-associated illnesses, such as diabetes, colon cancer, heart disease and stroke, all ailments that affect African-Americans at a higher rate than other ethnicities. Concerning fitness goals, cardio training enables the body's cells to get the oxygen needed to burn fatty acids for energy.

Neglecting the cardio portion of your workout hinders your overall fitness progress by ignoring the heart conditioning needed to build endurance. Allen emphasizes the importance of getting oxygen to working muscles to avoid "premature failure of activity due to a lack of oxygen uptake by working muscles."

Strength training (also referred to as weightlifting and resistance training) helps to build muscle strength and mass necessary to boost the metabolism. Allen points to research that indicates that "adding just one pound of muscle" helps burn an additional 18,000 to 25,000 calories a year.

Not only does strength training assist in weight loss, but it also makes daily activities such as lifting and walking up stairs easier by reducing the risk of injury and fatigue. Strength training also provides joints with necessary muscle support.

Stretching, the third exercise component, goes hand-in-hand with strength training. Even though stretching often is neglected or downplayed, experts warn about the danger of beginning and finishing a workout session without stretching.

"Concentrating only on strengthening the muscles but neglecting to stretch them is asking for trouble," says Tina Juan, author of Lose Weight, Feel Good, Look Great. "The result is an unbalanced, prone-to-injury body that is overly tight and inflexible." Fitness experts recommend spending at least 15-30 seconds stretching each of the major muscles and joints before and after working out.

If, for example, all you have is 90 minutes per week to devote to exercise, then don't do the same monotonous routine each time. Use the time you have to try something a little different so that you will be able to work different muscle groups.

Allen suggests circuit training for those who want maximum benefits but have limited time. "Resistance training in this manner increases strength while making some contribution to cardiovascular endurance." Aimed at losing both weight and inches, circuit training is a type of interval training that incorporates a series of resistance exercises with bursts of aerobic exercises dispersed in between. Although circuit training is usually done in a gym, it can be done with a series of exercises like lunges, squats, push-ups and crunches, all in the comfort of your home. Pilates is a good way to get strength training.

Other options include interval training and cross training. Interval training is inserting bursts of vigorous exercise between stretches of moderate exercise to give muscles a chance to recuperate. For example, if you usually jog for 30 minutes at a steady pace, try sprinting for 10 seconds and then jogging for 2 minutes. If you do this routine for 20 minutes, you will have achieved the same gains in less time. However, if you do this for 30 minutes, you could increase the efficiency of your workout by up to 30 percent. Fitness experts warn against pushing yourself to exhaustion or pain. Instead, begin a new exercise regimen by doing less than you are accustomed to and slowly build in intensity and duration.

Cross training involves alternating between different types of exercises within the same session or in succeeding sessions. Instead of 30 minutes of stair climbing, try 15 minutes on a stair exerciser and 15 minutes on elliptical or rowing machines. This helps prevent overdeveloping certain muscles while ignoring others, and consequently will spice up your workout and reduce muscle fatigue.