Thomas S. Bottiglieri, D.O.

“A healthy body is a healthy mind.” Physical exercise is one of the most important activities that we can engage in to maintain a healthy body and mind. In this article, we’ll discuss why physical exercise is so important and provide tips on how you can incorporate it into your daily routine.

Achieving overall physical fitness requires building a strong foundation based on the four main building blocks of cardiovascular fitness, resistance strength/power/stability, flexibility, and proprioception. However, depending on your background experience with sport, dance, or manual labor, you may identify more with one or two of these pillars than the others. In this guide, we will explain the importance of each of these pillars and why they are essential for overall health and fitness.

1. Proprioception and Balance: Proprioception is the ability to sense the position and movement of our body parts. It is essential for balance, coordination, and injury prevention. Proprioception and balance are best addressed in sports like dance, gymnastics, or martial arts, which involve movements that challenge the body’s balance and coordination. Basic training principles that can be used to improve proprioception and balance include practicing single-leg balance exercises, using balance boards, and performing exercises with unstable surfaces such as a Bosu ball.

2. Flexibility: The full range of motion around joints and muscle/tendon length is an important aspect of exercise that is often undervalued in sports that do not specifically require flexibility. For athletes that are more focused on speed, power, and endurance, the range of motion around a joint can be improved through practices such as yoga, which can be built into a recovery day. Yoga combines stretching with body position and awareness, which helps to increase flexibility while also promoting mindfulness. Other activities that can improve flexibility include Pilates, tai chi, and dedicated stretching exercises. As a rule, a dynamic warmup should focus on functional range of motion, and flexibility training to increase the range of motion should be reserved for the end of workouts or dedicated sessions of stretching.

3. Strength: Strength gains require resistance and can range from bodyweight training to weightlifting. Resistance training helps to improve muscle strength, bone density, and joint stability. To generate power, muscles need specific conditioning that challenges the strength of their connections and ability to contract efficiently. Exercises that can improve strength include push-ups, squats, lunges, and deadlifts. Bodyweight exercises such as planks, bridges, and wall sits can also be effective. The benefits of dedicated muscle strengthening exercises on joint function, metabolism, and performance are undeniable. The myth that lifting weights will lead to bulking up or weight gain for athletes not wishing to do so is unfounded.

4. Cardiovascular Endurance: Cardiovascular endurance is what most people in the United States think of when considering an exercise program. This includes activities such as running, biking, rowing, and swimming. Improving cardiovascular endurance can help to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It is also an important aspect of overall fitness and can improve energy levels and quality of life. To improve cardiovascular endurance, it is important to engage in aerobic exercise regularly, starting with low to moderate intensity and gradually increasing duration and intensity over time. Measuring heart rate during exercise is an excellent way to calibrate output and track progress.

Incorporating these foundational pillars of exercise has numerous benefits. Flexibility can improve range of motion and reduce the risk of injury. Proprioception and balance can improve coordination and prevent falls. Strength can improve muscle mass, bone density, and joint stability. Cardiovascular endurance can improve heart health and overall fitness. As athletes age, the goals of each pillar may change. Younger athletes want to develop normally and fulfill their potential. Adult athletes may focus more on performance and injury prevention. Older athletes may want to control pain, lessen the risk of injury, and remain active

To review:

These four main building blocks form the foundation of overall physical fitness. Depending on your background experience with sport, dance, or even manual labor, you will likely identify more with one or two of these than the others. In any sport it is relatively easy to identify primary fitness concerns. In soccer speed and endurance prevail. Enhanced cardiovascular endurance is necessary for running, biking, and swimming. Football and Boxing are displays of power, agility and speed. Basketball is likewise a sport highlighting nimble and highly coordinated athletes.

The benefits of a comprehensive exercise strategy can include better performance, injury prevention, and longevity. Cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, and proprioception are essential for overall health and fitness.

Proprioception is the ability to sense the position and movement of our body parts. It is essential for balance, coordination, and injury prevention. Proprioception and balance are best addressed in sports like dance, gymnastics, or martial arts, which involve movements that challenge the body’s balance and coordination. The ability to find and maintain a position in three dimensional space requires proprioception. Basic training principles that can be used to improve proprioception and balance include practicing single-leg balance exercises, using balance boards, and performing exercises with unstable surfaces such as a Bosu ball.

The full arc of motion around joints and muscle/tendon length is an important aspect of exercise that is often undervalued in sports that do not specifically require flexibility. For athletes that are more focused on speed, power, and endurance, the range of motion around a joint and can be improved through practices such as yoga, which can be built into a recovery day. Yoga combines stretching with body position and awareness, which helps to increase flexibility while also promoting mindfulness. Other activities that can improve flexibility include Pilates, tai chi, and dedicated stretching exercises. As a rule, a dynamic warmup should focus on functional range of motion and flexibility training to increase range of motion should be reserved for the end of workouts or dedicated sessions of stretching.

Strength gains require resistance and can range from bodyweight training to weightlifting. Resistance training helps to improve muscle strength, bone density, and joint stability. To generate power, muscles need specific conditioning that challenges the strength of their connections and ability to contract efficiently. Exercises that can improve strength include push-ups, squats, lunges, and deadlifts. Bodyweight exercises such as planks, bridges, and wall sits can also be effective. The benefits of dedicated muscle strengthening exercises on joint function, metabolism, and performance are undeniable. The myth that lifting weights will lead to bulking up or weight gain for athletes not wishing to do so is unfounded.

Cardiovascular endurance is what most people in the United States think of when considering an exercise program. This includes activities such as running, biking, rowing, and swimming. Improving cardiovascular endurance can help to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It is also an important aspect of overall fitness and can improve energy levels and quality of life. To improve cardiovascular endurance, it is important to engage in aerobic exercise regularly, starting with low to moderate intensity and gradually increasing duration and intensity over time. Measuring heart rate during exercise is an excellent way to calibrate output and track progress.

Incorporating these foundational pillars of exercise has numerous benefits. Flexibility can improve range of motion and reduce the risk of injury. Proprioception and balance can improve coordination and prevent falls. Strength can improve muscle mass, bone density, and joint stability. Cardiovascular endurance can improve heart health and overall fitness.

As athletes age, the goals of each pillar may change. Younger athletes want to develop normally and fulfill their potential. Adult athletes may focus more on performance and injury prevention. Older athletes may want to control pain, lessen the risk of injury, and remain active and healthy for as long as possible. It is important to adapt exercise programs to meet the needs of athletes of different ages and fitness levels.

Incorporating these foundations of exercise as dedicated sessions for each or with components of each in every workout is important. The four pillars of fitness – cardiovascular endurance, strength, flexibility, and proprioception – can have numerous benefits for overall health. By incorporating these pillars into a workout routine, athletes can improve range of motion, coordination, muscle mass, bone density, joint stability, heart health, and overall fitness. Remember to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise program. Work with your doctor or fitness professional to adapt exercise programs to meet your specific needs at every ages, developmental or aging stages, and as fitness levels vary.

Obviously there’s opportunity cost to attending to one sort of exercise while burning the time that might’ve been allocated to increased reps in a specific sport-based skill. But this also leads to overuse injury, and muscle imbalances that increase risks for trauma. As our society specializes more and more, we must create space for children and adults alike to explore movement and activity that encourages each of the four pillars to maximize our physical potential for wellbeing.