Optimum Fitness here at Urban Jungle is broken down into 3 categories: Physical; Emotional; Mental.  Each of these categories is important in their own ways and all synergistically work together for your optimal fitness!

Physical: The Physical aspect of your optimal fitness is further broken down by what most fitness professionals identify as Strength Training; Flexibility Training; Cardiovascular Training; and Diet.  Many people when they exercise usually stick to one or maybe two of the above, but rarely all of the aforementioned aspects of optimal physical fitness are followed and executed properly.  What does each mean?  As each of the 4 aspects above that comprise the physical fitness portion could easily have their own articles and will be expounded on in the future here, I will keep this as short as possible.  Each aspect should be adjusted to whatever the fitness goals are for the individual; as well as the body type…no two peoples genetic make-up are the same.

Strength Training – This involves resistance training.  Resistance can be in the form of your own body weight; weights; bands; or anything adding resistance to any muscle contraction.  The benefit of proper resistance training has been highly documented by numerous federal and health regulatory agencies.  Some of those key benefits include: Building Stronger Bones; Boosting Metabolism; A healthier Heart; Helps Fight Diabetes; Reduces Arthritis and injuries; all these benefits and more on top of making an individual stronger and more confident.

Flexibility Training – Flexibility training helps improve core balance and body stability.  Range of Motion increases which reduces the risk of injury performing daily tasks and when exercising.  Flexibility training also aids with stretching out all those muscles, tendons, and ligaments that are often in a locked up position throughout the day while many individuals are stuck in only a few different positions for hours on end.  Flexibility training helps improve blood flow allowing the cardiovascular system to do what it was designed to do more efficiently (thus allowing your heart to not work as hard), deliver much needed oxygen and removing waste products.

Cardiovascular Training – The much hated “Cardio.”  Ugghhh.  Yup, this is a vital component to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and achieving optimal fitness.  Cardiovascular Training has been shown to help fight heart disease; promotes the loss of body fat; can strengthen your skeletal system; helps control diabetes; helps lower blood pressure…among some of its benefits.  Yet, this is often either a left out component to an individual’s fitness routine, or is not done properly according to their own goals.  Running on a treadmill for an hour straight could either be a great cardiovascular workout, burning maximum amount of calories even after the workout is complete, OR it can be a mediocre calorie burn and stop right when the running is complete.  The amount of intensity or overload you put on the heart is the determining factor, while working within your own limits of course.

Diet – This is often the hardest aspect of optimal fitness to get under control for most people.  What makes it even harder, is that diet is a constantly changing variable and changes depending on a persons activity; age; body type; and goals…all of which also change throughout a persons life.  For instance, a person who is in their mid 30’s and training for a triathlon is at a certain fitness level and has different goals than a person who would like to lose 30 lbs and hasn’t really incorporated much exercise in their life.  Hence, different diet plans are needed for each specific case…there is no one size fits all diet plan.  That same tri-athlete gets injured and has to decrease their physical activity, then needs to change their diet again to maintain.  Maintaining the right eating habits, at least when first embarking on a change in lifestyle, takes determination; focus; and a strong desire to make a lifestyle change.  After the eating habits have been modified and it is indeed a routine, no longer having to think about a set of choices…those choices will be much easier.

Emotional: The physical aspect to optimal fitness is a dedication of time to say the least.  To make sure you are hitting every aspect properly, an individual would need at least an hour a day, 3-6 days a week.  This is more than a commitment to yourself…it’s a lifestyle change.  However, like anything in life, there needs to be balance.  Between, work; kids; various obligations; and your physical fitness goals….are you giving enough time for yourself out of the day?  A time to reflect on the day; week; month; past year.  A time to reset your emotions if needed…a time for introspection.  Making sure there is time when you can re-center yourself is crucial for focus and moving forward towards the goals you have set for yourself.  This time period can be spent going over your goals, defining new ones, or it can be spent in reflection or forward thinking.

Mental: The last requirement for optimal fitness is the fitness of the mind.  What are you doing to challenge your mind?  Are you cruising through life, doing the bare minimum necessary to just get by?  If you are happy doing this, then you are good…no need to read on.  However, if you are not happy with your life…part of it could be because you are not properly challenging yourself and living up to your full potential.  Pushing yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally allows for growth and evolution of the body, mind and spirit.  Species in this world are not meant to stop evolving…in fact those that due usually end up taking the e-ticket out of this world.  What are you doing to evolve…to push yourself…to Challenge your Limits!