18/07/2009

Fitness goals that matter most

Rebecca Ruiz, Forbes When 58-year-old Larry Durstine was younger, he could run four miles in 20 minutes--an impressive pace given that only elite runners tend to average sub-four-minute miles. But these days Durstine, who knows a thing or two about fitness since he's chair of the department of exercise science at the University of South Carolina, has different goals.

"I used to get five to 10 miles in an hour each day, but my benchmarks have changed," Durstine says. Nowadays, however, he's satisfied to squeeze in whatever exercise, whenever he can.

It's practical, and might even sound boring, but Durstine enjoys the challenge of finding ways to be active, whether that means waking up at 5:30 a.m. to run 2 miles, parking his car a mile from his campus office for the long walks or planning a 20-minute session of 300 sit-ups and 120 push-ups.

Regular activities like these, plus frequent flexibility and coordination exercises, help the body become limber and strong, as well as capable of speed and cardiovascular endurance. Trends may come and go, but the foundation of good physical health rests on these principles. And working toward each of the goals--flexibility, coordination, strength, speed and endurance--is possible with a little time management, creative thinking and education.

Getting It Done

Exercise science hasn't changed much in recent decades; experts still say people need to be moderately to vigorously active and develop strength and flexibility. Ideally, you should spend at least 30 minutes a day, five days out of the week on cardiovascular conditioning. Additional time, about 20 minutes, should be allotted for strength-training exercises twice a week. Finally, flexibility exercises can be done in eight to 10 minutes three times a week.

Holosfitness.com is a great online tool you can use to track your fitness goals. The site has hundreds of exercises listed with step-by-step instruction.

For most people, that's an ambitious workout schedule. That's why Durstine recommends a balance between planned exercise, like that 5:30 a.m. run, and more improvisational exercise, like taking a mid-afternoon break to do a few coordination or flexibility activities--like balancing on one foot or stretching the major muscle groups.

It also shouldn't be a burden when you're having fun, which is how Nick Heil approaches exercise. Heil, an editor for Outside who tests fitness plans in a monthly column, admits that "workouts can be like going to the dentist." But he often exercises with other people, which allows him to focus on enjoying the "social energy" instead of dwelling on the work.