2. Fitness Level 2 - You comfortably participate in aerobic activity for at least 20 minutes, 3 times per week.

Try to increase the length of your workouts to 30 minutes and try to exercise 4 times a week (rather than 3).  Try increasing the duration in small increments (i.e. 22 minutes, then 24 minutes etc... rather than increasing the duration by the full 10 minutes - this will make the transition easier.

3. Fitness Level 3 - You comfortably participate in aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes, 3-4 times per week.

To increase your level of cardiovascular fitness, try to exercise for 30 minutes 4-5 times per week.  To avoid overuse injuries (such as tendonitis, shin splints etc...) you should cross train (one day try walking, the next day ride a bike, the following day participate in an aerobics class etc...).

(B) Strength Training :

Muscular strength is defined as the maximum force that can be exerted by a muscle or muscle group. This is the type of strength Olympic weight lifters display when they lift during competition.
Muscular endurance is the capacity of a muscle to repeatedly exert force or to maintain a fixed contraction for a period of time. Anytime you are lifting the same item over and over again, you are displaying muscular endurance.
Muscle tone refers to the firmness of your muscles. Both endurance and strength exercises will improve muscle tone.

There are many different methods available to improve muscular strength, endurance and tone. Below is a list of muscle strengthening methods:
Weight machines
Free weights/Hand weights
Tubing/Bands
Calisthenics (such as push-ups, tricep dips, abdominal crunches, etc...)

You should determine your current fitness level. Then you can determine the frequency of the training (number of times per week), as well as the recommended number of repetitions and sets. In general, people who want to build muscle will want to strive for fitness level 3. While those who want to firm up/tone should stick with fitness levels 1 or 2.

(1) Fitness Level 1 - You rarely (or never) perform resistance training exercises.

Individuals at Fitness Level 1 have not regularly participated in a strength training program and should begin slowly.

If you are not familiar with resistance work and have purchased hand weights, tubing, bands etc.. - NEVER try an exercise without knowing the correct way to perform it. Form is critical.

Most experts recommend beginning with 2 times per week, 20-30 minutes per session. You should try to work all the major muscle groups of the body and rest at least 24 hours between training sessions (this will give your muscles a chance to recover). Try to complete 1 set of 15-20 repetitions.

Advise:

• Determining the correct resistance level: In general, use enough resistance to fatigue your muscles when you have completed the appropriate number of repetitions within a set. If you cannot complete all the repetitions within a set, decrease the amount of resistance. NEVER sacrifice form to get the last repetition in - if you do this, you will get injured at some point in time. Always make sure the last repetition is as pretty as the first.
• Always make sure you are using the proper form!.  Many people lift weights without having their backs properly supported. If you are lifting weights and feel stress on your back, knees etc... chances are you are not using the correct form. If you are in a health club ask for help. If you are at home, purchase a book or video that explains the correct form to use - nothing is worth hurting your back or joints!
• Always consult a physician prior to beginning or changing an exercise program.
  

(2) Fitness Level 2 - You perform at least 1 set of 15-20 reps on 8-10 of the major muscle groups, 2-3 times per week.

Most experts recommend working 3 times a week for 20-30 minutes a session. Try to complete 1-2 sets of 12-15 repetitions. If you can fit all the major muscle groups in, that's great. If you can't, try alternating upper body/trunk one day and lower body the next. Never work the same muscle group two days in a row because the muscles need at least 24 hours to recover.

(3) Fitness Level 3 - You perform at least 2 sets of 8-12 reps on 8-10 of the major muscle groups, 3-4 times per week.

Most experts recommend working 4 times a week for 20-30 minutes a session. Try to complete 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions. Remember, this is just a guideline. If your focus is on endurance and toning, rather than increasing your muscular strength, you may want to use less weight with more repetitions than 8-12. If your focus is on strength, more weight and fewer repetitions makes sense. Make sure that you can complete at least 8 reps - if you can't you are using too much weight. If you are doing 3 sets, you may not be able to fit all the major muscle groups into 1 workout. Try alternating upper body/trunk one day and lower body the next. Never work the same muscle group two days in a row because the muscles need at least 24 hours to recover.

(C) Flexibility Training :

Flexibility is defined as the range of motion (ROM) around a joint. Within each joint there is an optimum ROM necessary for peak performance. Factors that affect flexibility include:

• Age - As we age, our joints loose some of their flexibility.
• Inactivity - Causes joints to loose their flexibility because connective tissue shortens.
• Gender - Women tend to be more flexible than men. (Many experts believe that women are genetically designed with a greater range of flexibility for childbearing purposes.)
• Body Type and Strength Training - Flexibility is specific to each individual because everyone has a different muscle structure, joint structure and genetic composition.

The good news is that with stretching training, your degree of flexibility can be increased. Other benefits of stretching include: Reduces muscle soreness, Reduces the risk of injury, Improves relaxation (both physical and mental) and Reduces stress.

Most experts recommend using the Static Stretching method. To use this method, you slowly position yourself in the stretch until you feel tension in the muscle (not pain). Once you're in the position, you should hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds without bouncing. Bouncing (Ballistic Stretching) actually causes the muscle to contract - this is called the Stretch Reflex. The possibility for injury and muscle soreness are increased by using this type of stretching technique.

The amount of time you spend stretching depends upon your current level of fitness. IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION (such as a herniated disc, torn muscle, sprained ankle etc...) CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR PRIOR TO BEGINNING A FLEXIBILITY PROGRAM. There are stretching exercises that you should not do.

(1) Fitness Level 1 - You never or rarely stretch

Try to stretch 3 times a week for 20-30 minutes. (20 - 30 minutes may sound like a lot of time to spend stretching; however, if you incorporate it into a workout routine where you stretch 10-15 minutes before weight training/cardiovascular work and 10-15 minutes after, it is a reasonable time frame to work with.) Stretching should always be preceded by a 5-10 minutes warm-up period where you are moving in a rhythmic fashion using all your major muscle groups. (This sends blood to the muscles and readies them for activity.) Remember to use the Static Stretch method and try to hold each stretch for at least 10-30 seconds.

(2 ) Fitness Level 2 - You occasionally stretch most of the major muscle groups

To increase your level of flexibility, try to stretch 4 times a week for 20-45 minutes. (20 - 45 minutes may sound like a lot of time to spend stretching; however, if you incorporate it into a workout routine where you stretch 10-15 minutes before weight training/cardiovascular work and 15-20 minutes after, it is a reasonable time frame to work with.) Stretching should always be preceded by a 5-10 minutes warm-up period where you are moving in a rhythmic fashion using all your major muscle groups. (This sends blood to the muscles and readies them for activity.) Remember to use the Static stretch method (no bouncing) and try to hold the stretches for at least 10-30 seconds. Many people like to do yoga first thing in the morning - yoga is considered a flexibility exercise, so if you like yoga,  20-45 minutes will go by quickly when you're in a structured routine.

(3) Fitness Level 3 - You always stretch the major muscle groups

To increase your level of flexibility, try to stretch 5 times a week for 20-60 minutes. Stretching should always be preceded by a 5-10 minute warm-up period where you are moving in a rhythmic fashion using all your major muscle groups. (This sends blood to the muscles and redoes them for activity.) Remember to use the Static stretch method (no bouncing) and try to hold the stretches for at least 10-30 seconds. If you like yoga, buy a tape or take a class (20-60 minutes will go by quickly when you're in a structured routine).

Conclusion

No matter what your fitness level is or what your goals are, you will look and feel better when you regularly participate in an exercise program. To be successful, you must incorporate it into your lifestyle to make t just like eating and sleeping.

Glossary:

Repetitions and Sets

A repetition is doing the movement 1 time (for example, 1 push-up). Most of the time, you will be instructed to do a given number of repetitions (such as 15). This means you are to do the same movement 15 times (15 push-ups) without resting in between.

A set is the completion of a series of repetitions. Once you've completed 15 push-ups, you're done with 1 set. If you are instructed to do 2 sets, you may rest in between them for a minute or so (if you are sore, you may want to stretch your muscles).

Many people will work 2 muscle groups at the same time by completing 1 set of bicep curls immediately followed by 1 set of tricep kickbacks. This method is called "super setting". If you want to use this method, make sure you work opposing muscle groups (such as bicep/tricep, quadricep/hamstrings) in order to keep the blood flow to the same region of the body. When using this method, you will not take any rest time in between sets because the muscle will get a break when you are working the opposing muscle group.

Aerobic exercise & Anaerobic exercise.

The words aerobic and anaerobic refer to energy pathways that are utilized during exercise. Aerobic means "with oxygen" and anaerobic means "without oxygen".

Aerobic exercises such as 

Aerobic classes
Jogging
Swimming
Bicycling
Fast walking
In-Line Skating
Cross Country Skiing
Etc...

Anaerobic exercises such as sprinting & weight training:

Weight machines
Free weights/Hand weights
Tubing/Bands
Calisthenics (such as push-ups, tricep dips, abdominal crunches, etc...)

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