8 Principles of Exercise

From improved cardiovascular health to better endurance, stronger muscles to enhanced flexibility, and lower risk of disease to boosted energy, exercise offers benefits to anyone who engages in it. Regular exercise even helps your mental health by lessening your stress and anxiety and lightening your mood, says MayoClinic.com. Exercise more effectively and efficiently by evaluating your routine using the eight principles of exercise.

  1. Principle 1: Progression

    • To be effective, your workout routine needs to get progressively more challenging over time. You might start with walking for a few minutes around the neighborhood, then slowly jogging along a flat trail, then eventually move on to running.

    Principle 2: Specificity

    • To see results in a certain area -- whether you want to tone your upper arms or run faster -- you need to home in on specifics. While all-around exercise is beneficial, focus allows you to achieve specific results. Want to have toned biceps? Then do weight training that works your upper arms. Want to run faster? Then run regularly.

    Principle 3: Regularity

    • The physical benefits of exercise only last when you exercise regularly. This allows your body to adapt to the muscle stimulation. To maintain your results, you must exercise consistently.

    Principle 4: Variety

    • While specificity is important, variety helps keep you engaged and excited about your exercise regimen. Avoid the exercise rut by varying your routine to work different areas of the body and keep yourself interested.

    Principle 5: Overload

    • To provide your body with enough stimulus to cause adaptation, you must reach toward the boundaries of your range of movement, says sports coach Brian Mac. That means pushing yourself to more challenging levels every time you exercise by increasing repetitions, resistance, intensity or duration.

    Principle 6: Recovery

    • Recovery periods allow your body to adapt to overload. Though everyone is different, most people need at least 48 hours of recovery between vigorous workouts, says Dr. Hector Morales-Negron of Kaplan University.

    Principle 7: Balance

    • Though you'll focus on specific areas you want to change -- such as toning those upper arms -- overall balance is also key to a successful exercise program. Incorporate exercises that work all parts of the body, as well as improve cardiovascular health, strength and flexibility.

    Principle 8: Realism

    • If you want to succeed with your exercise regimen, keep your expectations realistic. Make exercise goals that are appropriate to your ability, as well; if you're just starting out, don't expect to win a marathon in a few weeks. Work exercise into your schedule realistically, keeping your personal and professional obligations in mind.