Commentary: A workout is what works for you

What is a workout?

As a fitness professional, I am often asked that. It could be one thing for you, yet something else for your neighbor.

The answer: A workout is any physical activity that combines exertion with movement while providing strength, cardiovascular, flexibility and balance components.

For some, that could be walking the dog; for others, maybe running on the beach or doing Pilates or yoga. A workout could be a group class or solo weightlifting.

So how do you choose which workout to do? Any form of movement will get you started.

First, find an activity you enjoy doing so you are more likely to continue doing it. Do you enjoy dancing, biking, swimming, gardening? If you are moving with exertion and hitting all four components of exercise while doing any of these, you are working out.

It is sometimes difficult to hit all four with any one activity or class. That’s fine. Vary your workouts over a week by, for example, gardening, strength training, yoga and walking, each on different days. Variety also helps if you have time constraints on a particular day.

Set yourself up for success by doing more on days when you have time and energy, and less on days when you don’t. Doing anything is better than doing nothing.

Why should you work out?

• To feel better, have more energy and sleep more deeply.

• To gain lean muscle mass so you’re burning more calories even when resting.

• To be more flexible so you have better posture, making you stand up taller and look thinner.

• To strengthen your heart, the most important muscle in your body.

• To increase lean muscle mass.

But of course, anything you do to get moving will always benefit you.

Exercise is like brushing your teeth — you need to do it every day. Exercise must become a way of life.

As we age, exercise is about getting stronger and focusing on strengthening our muscles for everyday living. Don’t forget how important it is to keep the range of motion in your joints.

Even just bending over to retrieve something you’ve dropped, or stretching to reach a high shelf, are important moves we take for granted. Balance is vital to prevent falls. Working out is truly not about what it does for your outside — it is what it does for your inside that really matters.

Now that you know what a workout looks like I hope you will challenge yourself and get started to improving your well-being. Good luck, and here’s to the new you!

Congratulations on taking the first step by reading this. Now get out there and move!

BONNIE SMITH is a Newport Beach resident and business owner.