Do you know the five components of fitness? Published Oct. 9, 2008 By Dr. Reggie B. O'Hara Health and Wellness Center OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- There are five important components of fitness that any participant, especially the beginner, should consider before initiating an exercise regime to improved health and fitness. These include muscular strength and endurance, cardiovascular, flexibility, body composition, and agility and power. When beginning an exercise program, concentrate first on the aerobic component before starting the strength-training portion of the routine. Many newcomers to exercise add too many components of fitness to their routines too early, and get burned out or worse, hurt. Therefore, it is important to concentrate on the aerobic portion of the fitness program for about two to three weeks before adding in a strength-training component. The aerobic training portion of the program will allow for physical adaptations and helps strengthen muscle and ligament attachments. When starting the aerobic portion it is best to address frequency, duration, modality and intensity, in this order. The beginner should start with a three-day per week training regime for the first two to three weeks and then add another day. The total frequency goal is a five-day per week program, if the person desires weight loss. Programs should last about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the person's fitness level. Some individuals may need to start at 20 minutes because they are unable to exercise for 30 continuous minutes or more. The person should add about 10 percent to total training time until they reach a training time between 40 to 60 minutes. One very important point should be made at this juncture. The person should accumulate a total training time of 30 minutes on most days, if they desire to improve health, such as reducing blood pressure. For example, an individual can perform an exercise, such as walking, 15 minutes in the morning and later that same day exercise an additional 15 minutes, for a total training time of 30 minutes. The difference in amount of calories expended is not significant in comparison to the person who chooses to walk 30 continuous minutes. The exerciser should start with a combination of cycling, walking, stair climbing as well as an activity for the upper body. In order to expend more calories, add in at least two exercises that require the support of your own bodyweight, such as walking or stair climbing. Lastly, intensity should gradually be increased as the person finds it more difficult to exercise in their target heart rate training zone. The formula is 220 minus your age, then multiple by 60 to 80 percent. Aerobic exercise such as cycling or walking will drastically reduce exercise heart rate after about four to six weeks and the beginner exerciser will eventually have to increase intensity level to continue achieving results. More importantly, when the person increases intensity then they should also reduce total training time. For example, if the person was exercising for 40 minutes then they should reduce training time to 25 to 30 minutes. Many people will continue exercising for a long duration after increasing exercise intensity and this predisposes them to overuse injury. Furthermore, anyone with a history of cardiovascular disease should always seek physician approval before starting an exercise program. The physician should also identify any bone or joint limitations that could pose problems to the person when engaging in an exercise program. Once the physician gives the thumbs up, the person should seek help from a certified trainer or exercise physiologist to ensure their exercise technique is correct. Many beginners do not seek help and end up hurting themselves early on. This sparks discouragement and sets the person back even more. After a duration of training, the person may also want to consider adding in some side to side shuffle movements to work on agility, especially the person who plays recreational sports such as racquetball, tennis, and basketball. For more information, contact the Osan Health and Wellness Center at 784-4292.