According to Steven Blair, more than sixty percent of American adults do not get the recommended amount of physical activity. In fact, 25% are not active at all. Nearly half of young Americans between the ages of 12 and 21 are not regularly and vigorously active. Additionally, physical activity declines during adolescence. Eating less and sensibly is only half the fitness balancing act; physical activity is the other, very important, half of the equation (Blair 1). In order for people to become physically fit, they must begin a physical fitness program. There are several simple factors to remember when starting a fitness program and continuing through the program, so anyone can accomplish it. These factors are: physical examination by the doctor, setting goals, consistency, attending a fitness program, measuring heart rate, starting exercises and completing them in the correct way without causing injury. When people start to notice how a physical fitness program makes them feel better about themselves, they will be happy to start a physical fitness program. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The only way to become physically fit is to start a physical fitness program, however, it is important for people to be 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 physical fitness program, people need to set goals and develop plans for how they expect to achieve them. Their long-term goal will be overall fitness. Write down end goals, such as being able to jog or walk two miles and feel good. No matter what shape people are in now, 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 feel irritated, tired and frustrated; all of this will hinder their enthusiasm for their program (Zuti 2). The two most important considerations in designing any program are that it can be executed consistently and progressively. If people do not exercise consistently and progressively, their body will not receive the stimulation it needs to become stronger and healthier (Christy 1). Before starting any type of physical fitness program, people must do a proper warm-up of their body. The best way to warm up is to exercise at an easy 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, raising their temperature, which increases their flexibility. This also helps reduce muscle stiffness that can develop and prevent people from injuring themselves (Friedman 28). Not all forms of exercise offer 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 done continuously for at least 12 minutes and that uses oxygen to provide energy to muscles. Some of the aerobic exercises include: brisk walking, jogging, stair climbing, aerobic dance, cycling, swimming, rowing, and some forms of dance (such as square dancing, folk dancing, or ballroom dancing). Anaerobic exercise consistsin a short, intense burst of strenuous activity, which includes: sprinting a short distance and lifting heavy weights (Clayman 20-23). ​​Physical form 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 that include weight lifting exercises for all major muscle groups. Muscular Endurance: Three 30-minute sessions each week that include exercises such as calisthenics, push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups. Flexibility: 10-12 minutes of daily stretching exercises performed slowly without bouncing movements, can be included after a warm-up or during a cool-down. . The sit-and-reach test is a good measure of the flexibility of the lower back and back of the upper legs. Your exercise program should include something from each of the four basic fitness components described above. Each workout must be spaced out throughout the week and avoid consecutive days of intense exercise (Sante 2). The frequency of a fitness program is determined by maintaining consistency and progression. If people exercise too frequently, their joints will take a beating and they will likely end up with some form of long-term joint inflammation. Additionally, people's immune systems will not be able to recover and they may become ill. The goal of training is not to see how much torture the body can take, but to stimulate the body and then let it recover. If people can train two or three times a week and get as strong as if they trained four times a week, with less chance of injury, then this should be the number of times they train (Christy 1-2). fitness program, they need to cool down by slowing their heart rate. Perform an exercise at a slower pace for 5 to 15 minutes until the person's breathing returns to normal. When people finish their workout this way, blood flows through the working muscles, stabilizes blood pressure, and lets the heart rate drop slowly and steadily (Friedman 28). After people complete the cool-down process (putting tension on the muscles), their body will recover immediately. they begin to repair damaged muscle tissue so that they are ready for further activity. After the physical fitness program the same considerations must be observed to maximize the repair potential. Continuing to perform heavy activities after a workout will disrupt the repair process and hinder further training activities (Christy 1). Heart rate is widely accepted as a good way to measure intensity during running, swimming, cycling and other aerobic activities. Exercise that does not raise your heart rate to a certain level and maintain it for twenty minutes will not significantly contribute 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. One of the simplest is: Maximum heart rate (220 - age) x 70%. Therefore, the target heart rate for a forty year old would be 126 (Sante 3). It is nearly impossible to achieve your health and fitness goals without a proper nutrition program. There are six classes of nutrients that the human body must have to function properly. They are: Water: People should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Carbohydrates - Foods like bread,.