Fitness is a way of life that focuses on achieving a good physical condition, a good long-term performance of the heart, the lungs and the circulation, a healthy lifestyle and an attractive physical appearance. Here are some tips for those who want to change the couch for a bicycle and do not know where to start.
It is important to choose the right type of exercise and not to have unrealistic expectations in order to avoid belonging in the group of people – around 50 per cent – who give up exercise within the first six months.
After studying various forms of exercise and people’s physical condition, American scientists developed a four-step exercise plan to successfully improve fitness and the general condition of the body.
Step zero is the inactive lifestyle. This involves deskbound work, the use of escalators or elevators and inactive leisure activities, such as watching TV or the computer screen. As soon as you leave this lifestyle behind, you have gone on to step one!
Step one involves getting around on foot or using a bicycle as often as possible. Take the stairs instead of elevators. If you need to get your car washed or have some work done around the house or in the garden, do it yourself. When you play with your children or grandchildren, choose something that requires moving around. Do this for at least half an hour every day and you can easily progress to step two.
The essence of step two is sporty leisure activities. You are in the best position if you enjoy nature. You can organise bicycle trips or hikes with friends. Badminton, tennis, golf and roller-skating are pleasant and not over- demanding sports. Dancing is also highly recommended. Set yourself concrete, realistic and achievable goals in order to guarantee long-term success. A sport should be enjoyable and fun. You get better results from a sport you have chosen for yourself than from pursuing a strict fitness programme. Easy or slightly demanding exercise can be effortlessly maintained in the long term.
If you can continue to spend at least half hour three times a week with an activity you have chosen for yourself, it is time to move on to step three, some form of sport that requires perseverance. The main thing is to practice an aerobic exercise, one that requires efforts for which the body needs increased oxygen intake. This will result in increased pulse, the optimum value of which can be calculated by subtracting your age from 180 (+/- 10 heartbeats per minute).
Ideal outdoor exercises that require perseverance are trekking, jogging, skate-boarding and swimming. You need to spend at least 20 minutes three times a week on types of demanding exercises in order to achieve a similar result to the everyday activities practiced in step one. If you increase these exercises to four or five times a week or to 30-60 minutes per occasion then a higher level of fitness and health can be achieved.
Step four is to increase muscle strength through exercise training. The simplest activities, to be practiced at home or outdoors, are jump roping or hula hooping. There are also many other gymnastics exercises that make muscles tighter. The most effective methods involve using exercise machines. Results can be achieved by two weekly training sessions. An ideal fitness programme combines the exercises from steps two and three with regular training. A gradual approach is required in order to make sure that you do not give up right after the start. Muscle training should always be combined with stretching and relaxing exercises. Allow adequate time for rest and relaxation. Practicing yoga and using a sauna are especially suitable for this. In addition to increased efficiency, another benefit of exercising in the gym is professional guidance. Instructors can develop custom-fit programmes on the basis of your age, your condition and your personal targets.
Fitness can be fun but you need to find the type of exercise that is most suited to you and that you can integrate in your everyday life.
Danubius Hotels operate seven exclusive fitness clubs named Danubius Premier in hotels throughout Hungary. These clubs use equipment of the latest and best design.
Every Danubius Premier club includes rooms of various sizes, pools and saunas and offers a wide selection of aerobic and other training exercises (e.g.: step, yoga, Tai-Chi and water gymnastics).
A multilingual staff is employed in all Premier clubs to show visitors the use of equipment and develop custom-fit exercise plans after preliminary discussion about the guest’s targets and expectations.
