Four More Things

I’m just in the mood for the number four this week.  Maybe I’ve fallen into an episode of Sesame Street?  When we’re thinking about what we need for fitness, there are four areas we want to include.  They are:

1.     Cardio.  We need to get our heart rate up and our lungs pumping.  Cardio burns calories, improves mood, and increases longevity.

2.     Strength.  Building muscle helps keep us lean.  We need weight work to build strong bones.  Also, we look cool with muscles.

3.     Flexibility.  It’s not just about being able to touch our toes.  Flexibility work ensures that we have an appropriate range of motion to do things like reach stuff on the top shelf in the kitchen and tie our shoes and check behind us when we’re backing up the car.

4.     Balance.  Falling down is not fun.  It leads to all kinds of nasty injuries, not just bruised self-esteem.