According to Steven Blair, more than sixty percent of American adults do not engage in the recommended amount of physical activity. In fact, twenty-five percent are not active at all. Nearly half of young Americans ages 12 to 21 are not regularly active. Additionally, physical activity declines during adolescence. Eating less and eating sensibly is only half of physical balance; Physical activity is the other – very important – half of the equation (Blair 1 ). For people to become physically fit, they need to start a fitness program. There are several simple factors to remember when starting and continuing a fitness program, so that everyone can achieve success. These factors are: a medical examination with a doctor, setting goals, consistency, frequency of a fitness program, measuring heart rate, starting exercises and performing them correctly without causing injury. When people start to notice how a fitness program helps them feel better about themselves, they will be happy to start a fitness program. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The only way to become physically fit is to start a fitness program. However, it is important that people are in good health when starting a fitness program. . Therefore, they should consult their doctor before starting any new activity or workout, to ensure a safe and enjoyable workout (Zuti 1). To begin a fitness program, people need to set goals and make plans for how they hope to achieve them. Their long term goal will be overall fitness. Write down your ultimate goals, such as being able to jog or walk two miles and feel good. No matter how fit people are currently, if they haven't been exercising regularly, they should start slowly and not try to progress too quickly. If people go too fast, they will be sore, tired and frustrated; all this will hinder their enthusiasm for their program (Zuti 2). The two most important considerations when designing any program are that it can be executed consistently and progressively. If people do not train consistently and progressively, their body will not receive the stimulation it needs to become stronger and healthier (Christy 1). Before starting any type of fitness program, people should do a proper warm-up of their body. The best way to warm up is to exercise at a light pace for five to six minutes, or until you start to sweat. People can walk, jog, or do another endurance activity. Warming up in this way increases blood flow to the muscles and tendons, increasing their temperature, which increases their flexibility. It also helps reduce muscle stiffness that can develop and prevent people from getting injured (Friedman 28). Not all forms of exercise provide the same health benefits, so it's important to understand what types of exercise can provide. Exercises can be aerobic or anaerobic. The term aerobic exercise is used to describe any form of prolonged activity that can be performed continuously for at least 12 minutes and that uses oxygen to provide energy to themuscles. Some of the aerobic exercises include: brisk walking, jogging, stair climbing, aerobic dancing, cycling, swimming, rowing and some forms of dance (such as square dancing, folk dancing or ballroom dancing). Anaerobic exercise consists of a short, intense bout of intense activity, which includes: sprinting a short distance and lifting heavy weights (Clayman 20-23). Fitness is most easily understood by examining its components, or parts. These four components are: Cardiorespiratory endurance – Three 20-minute sessions each week of continuous rhythmic aerobic exercise. Muscle Strength – A minimum of two 20-minute sessions per week including strength exercises for all major muscle groups. Muscular Endurance – Three 30-minute sessions each week including exercises such as calisthenics, push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups. Flexibility – 10-12 minutes of daily stretching exercises performed slowly without rebounding motion, can be included after a warm-up or during a cool-down. . The sit and reach test is a good measure of flexibility in the lower back and back of the legs. Your exercise program should include an element of each of the four basic elements of fitness described previously. Each workout should be spaced out throughout the week and avoid consecutive days of intense exercise (Sante 2). The frequency of a fitness program is determined based on maintaining consistency and progression. If people exercise too frequently, their joints will suffer and they will likely end up suffering from some form of joint inflammation in the long term. Additionally, people's immune systems will not be able to recover and they could end up getting sick. The purpose of training is not to see how much torture the body can withstand, but to stimulate the body and then let it recover. If people can train two to three times a week and continually get stronger like they would four times a week, with less risk of injury, then that should be the number of times they train (Christy 1-2). Once people complete their fitness program, they need to cool down by slowing down their heart rate. Perform an exercise at a slower pace for five to 15 minutes until the person's breathing returns to normal. When people complete their workout this way, blood flows to the working muscles, stabilizing blood pressure, and allowing their heart rate to drop slowly and steadily (Friedman 28). Once people have completed the recovery process (putting pressure on the muscles), their body will immediately begin to repair the damaged muscle tissue so that they are ready for further activity. After the fitness program, the same considerations should be observed to maximize repair potential. Continuing to perform strenuous activities after a training session will stop the repair process and hinder the continuation of training activities (Christy 1). Heart rate is widely accepted as a good method for measuring intensity during running, swimming, cycling and other aerobic activities. Exercise that does not raise the heart rate to a certain level and maintain it at that level for twenty minutes will not contribute significantly to cardiovascular fitness. The heart rate that people should maintain is called the target heart rate. There are several ways to arrive at this figure...