Five Components of Fitness You Should Know

Fitness is not only an obligation we have to ourselves - it's a privilege. The opportunity to go out and just work out for your health is something that not everyone in every society can afford the time to do. We feel lucky to be in the position to do so.

In your case, you may be able to make the time to stay fit but are resisting it for some reason. Or, maybe you are already working out but are not seeing the results you were hoping for as fast as you had hoped.

It is important to educate yourself about what your fitness routine should include. Here are five components of fitness you should know:

1. Know the right foods to eat:

If you allow your food choice to be determined merely by convenience, you will be sorely disappointed. Eating right requires education, time and money: all things that are in short supply in a busy, economically-strapped world. After all, it's easier and cheaper to just pick up fast food on the way home than it is to stop by the grocery store to buy ingredients and then go home to cook a healthy meal.

Still, there is a way to have the time to get healthy meals and not break your bank. You need to know the right foods to eat and then plan accordingly. For starters, educate yourself about the food pyramid: it's a model for eating a balanced diet created by nutritionists.

2. Keep a food journal:

One of the biggest ways that people are staying fit is by keeping track of what they eat with a food journal. This can be as easy as buying a $1 notebook and using a pencil to keep track of what you eat every day. (I recommend this over using your computer, since it is portable). Some people even keep track of the calorie count of each bit of food they eat. But, even by just by writing each food item down in your food journal, you will find that you are suddenly much more aware and in control of what you put into your body.

3. Get stronger muscles:

Every good fitness routine involves some form of exercise. A key benefit to exercise is not just in losing weight: it is also that of building up your core body strength. The muscles in your stomach, back and sides tend to lose mass as we get older. As your muscles become a smaller portion of your total body mass, you burn fat more slowly and put yourself at greater risk for injury. A regular exercise routine will reverse that trend.

4. Keep your heart healthy:

Another important benefit of regular exercise is that of keeping your heart healthy. Your heart is your hardest working organ, pumping over 1,500 gallons of blood through your body each day. It will thank you each time you work out by keeping you healthier, longer.

5. Stay limber and flexible:

A final important component of fitness is that of working to stay limber and flexible. Ask anybody who has done yoga for any period of time: getting limber really feels great. Even if you don't want to go so far as getting into yoga, just a daily routine of stretching will yield wonderful benefits.

Pay close attention to these five components of fitness and you will see your overall health improve. This will translate to spending less money on health care, feeling better, and looking your best.