Different Types of Exercise in Sacramento & Oakley, California

Balance Is Key When Exercising at Spare Time Sports Clubs

Many people dedicate tremendous time and effort to their workout regimens only to discover these efforts have been in vain. Why can you spend hours a day exercising but not get the results you want? The key to exercise is balance. Focusing too much on one area of your body or one specific type of exercise can prevent you from seeing desirable results.

Spare Time Sports Clubs offers various equipment and classes at our state-of-the-art sports and fitness clubs. From strength training to yoga classes, we help members engage in different types of exercise in the Sacramento, CA area. If you’re ready to achieve a better balance to your workouts, talk to us about membership today!

Why Varied Types of Exercise Are Essential to Health & Fitness

Physical fitness is necessary at any age, but you must devote time to all four major types of exercise (endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility) to yield the best results. Let’s say you go to yoga class four days a week but don’t do much of anything else. This is a perfect example of focusing too much on only a couple of types of exercise: balance and flexibility.

On the other hand, you may hit the free weights hard every day at your local gym. Strength training is beneficial, but you’re neglecting flexibility, balance, and endurance when you focus solely on lifting weights. Even if your current workout efforts focusing on one or two exercise types are yielding the visual results you want, you could be putting yourself at greater risk of injury by neglecting the other exercise groups.

Haven’t you heard the expression “variety is the spice of life”? You’re more likely to stick to a varied exercise regimen for the long term.

Exploring the Benefits of Aerobic Exercise for Endurance

Endurance exercises (also known as aerobics) aim to work your heart and lungs. You may be very muscular, but you probably need to work on your endurance if you get winded after a short jog or long walk. Why is it critical to focus on the types of exercise that promote endurance? Let’s take a look at a few of the benefits offered by aerobic exercise:

Reduces Inflammation – Research has shown that even just 20 minutes of aerobic exercise can stimulate your immune response. Stronger immune systems fight inflammation.
Reduces Blood Pressure – If you’ve had problems with your blood pressure, studies prove that aerobic exercise can help. Because aerobic exercise focuses on working out your heart and lungs, it can make your heart stronger, meaning it won’t have to work so hard to pump blood. The load on your arteries also decreases, lowering your blood pressure.
Lowers Blood Sugars – Physical activity like aerobics makes your body more sensitive to insulin. Aerobic exercise can help natural insulin do its job of keeping your blood sugar levels in check.

So, what types of aerobic exercise are most helpful if you’d like to reduce your inflammation, blood pressure, and blood sugars? Depending on what’s comfortable for your age and fitness level, excellent examples of aerobic exercises include water aerobics, running, swimming, dancing, cycling, tennis, basketball, brisk walking, and jogging in place.

What Are the Advantages of Strength Training for Adults?

Strength exercises aren’t merely about looking physically fit. Muscles all over your body contribute to your mobility. If you neglect one group of muscles for too long, your mobility could be in jeopardy. This is especially true for older adults. As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass and strength. Strength exercises help keep your muscles strong to make everyday tasks like carrying groceries or climbing stairs easier, regardless of age. While it’s disputed as to whether strength training is more effective than cardio for losing fat and burning calories, what’s clear is it certainly helps in those departments. Let’s take a look at some healthy examples of strength training you may want to include in your regimen:

Squats
Arm curls
Resistance band training
Body weight workouts (push-ups, sit-ups, etc.)
Free weight training
Bench presses

What Are the Benefits of Balance Exercises for Your Body?

Balance exercises are probably the most overlooked form of exercise of all, but to keep your body perfectly in tune, you must dedicate time to them. While there aren’t any specific guidelines, it’s recommended that you do 3-6 balance training exercises per week. Yoga and Pilates are popular forms of balance exercises, but they’re not the only ones. Another balance exercise you may want to try is simply shifting your weight from side to side in a stationary stance. Standing on one foot for a minute is also considered a good balance exercise. You can also use a balance board, walk heel-to-toe, or practice tai chi to improve your balance. But why is balance so important? Let’s take a look at a few benefits of balance exercises:

Reduces Risk of Ankle Injury – Achieving better balance for your body means less stress on your ankles in certain situations. This could help reduce the risk of ankle injuries.
Increases Athletic Ability – Many competitive sports like basketball, tennis, soccer, and football require great balance. The best athletes can balance their bodies in physically demanding situations.
Reduces Pain – Balance exercises regularly focus on improving posture. When you have good posture, less stress is put on your legs, hips, knees, ankles, and other joints. All of your muscles and joints should bear a certain load. When your balance and posture are poor, some muscles and joints take on too much pressure, often leading to pain and many chronic conditions.

Why Should You Incorporate Flexibility Exercises in Workouts?

Flexibility is vital at every stage of life, but especially for older adults. As we age, mundane tasks like reaching up into a cupboard for a mug or bending down to put on socks get harder – or worse, painful. Flexibility exercises help preserve mobility both now and as you age. The importance of flexibility exercises cannot be understated. They can help you avoid injury, improve your posture and balance, help relieve muscle and joint pain, improve your athletic performance, and help build your body’s endurance. Examples of flexibility exercises you can easily incorporate into your workouts include:

Yoga
Pilates
Tai chi
Touching your toes
Single knee rotations
Inner thigh stretches
Back stretches

A Personal Trainer Can Help You Put It All Together

It’s not enough to be aware of the four main types of exercise and their health benefits. You have to put them into practice. Finding the right balance can be difficult, especially when there aren’t specific guidelines as to how much of each exercise type you should be getting. Always remember that you shouldn’t stretch beyond what’s comfortable for your body. Pushing your body too far over its limits can cause injury. Working one-on-one with a personal trainer can help you determine which exercises are best for your age and fitness level. Your trainer can help you develop a regimen that works for your schedule, incorporating strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance training into the mix.

Contact Spare Time Sports Clubs in Sacramento & Beyond

At Spare Time Sports Clubs, we have a qualified staff of personal trainers and fitness instructors willing to work with you one-on-one. However, if you prefer group classes and exercises, we also offer those. Many of our facilities provide instructor-led yoga and Pilates classes, but all of our sports and fitness clubs emphasize a healthy balance between the four different types of exercises. We make it easy for members to strike the perfect balance in their workouts. Contact us today to learn more about membership at the Spare Time Sports Club location nearest you!