Many of us are working out regularly in some way or other. Those who are not are getting wiser to the facts and benefits. Many are now getting started on some form of fitness routine. Let's look at a few ways to stay fit. From our crazy triathelets, to wild mountain bikers to simple walking, it;s a great way to stay in shape. We are lucky to have the wonderful ocean, trails in the woods and mountains in Hawaii. Many of the trails are great, but watch out for soft sand and rocks. Since the pavement is also very extensive on this island, cycling on the roads is safer in some areas too. It 's a great way to have fun, see new places and get in great shape.

Roller blading is another great way to stay in shape with a cardivascular workout and is low impact. Let's not forget the famous sport of all on the islands; surfing, the funnest upperbody training program ever devised. This is one of the hardiest sports for the upper body! we need to find a balance program for the leggs if we seek total fitness. Although technically surfing would not be considered an areobic training program those scientists never surfed. Duration with intensity determins the level of fitness benifit you recieve from it. No question, it's a great workout. Surfing is natural, not using machines and very harmonious for mind and spitit.

That leads us into the other water sports in Hawaii, swimming is one of the best all around methods for staying in shape. But I'm talking about the swimming of a mile or more per day. Swimming however unless done on a highly competitive level is a difficult way to build muscle. It's greatest benefits are cardio-vascular, muscle developement within function and the most important to me is a lengthening and loosening (relaxing) of muscles. I love it, it needs to be part of a regular total fitness program..

Lets look at the benefits of every system. The systems you use depends on what you are trying to achieve with your body. Fitness(Specificity) is best achieved by systems of specific exercises producing a measured or intended result. Areobic-(endurance), anarobic (muscle strength) and flexibility (yoga, stretching, massage) in proper proportions are all necessary to stay fit as well as healthy.

Of course there are yet another varied means of obtaining that mean lean and beautifl body. Let's review "Swimming is the best conditioning exercise and we can do it all year round. In addition to swimming, we also have paddleing (Hawaiian style) kayaking, surfing and wind surfing, all of which are primarily upper body exercises. These should be balanced with a true aerobic exercise and a lower body strengthening program.

There is no reason to quit working out at the gym because we have nice weather. It is necessary, however, to keep a balance with our strength and flexibility exercises. Unfortunately, we don't always have time to run up to the mountains for lunch so the gym is a good backup. Night time workouts become almost mandatory since most of us work during the days and the weekends just don't give us enough time to stay in shape.

Depending on the level of fitness you want to achieve and then maintain, the minimum is to work out three days per week for at least an hour (hard and easy days) Four is even better. Watch out, though, we could go to more and more and more!! training can be adictive.

The law of reversibility comes quick. That means it takes us from five to ten weeks to get fit, but only one week without training to lose it. Aerobic conditioning goes first, metabolism second, then endurance and strength last. Remember, even the most athletic body needs some rest too (hard and easy days), so don't over train. Listen to your body!! I don't believe in the old saying -- No pain, No gain. I've treated many top athletes that wouldn't let their bodies heal and tried to push through the pain. Also, for the prevention of injuries it's best to start gently and build a good fitness base. This law, building a base is critical. That means you have to build ligaments and tendons first before muscles. They take longer than muscle, because of lack of blood flow and flexibility. That's where the use long slow distance training was desined for runners to build that base. The prpoblem is many contined it for competion and that wasn't enough for running faster.

For us regular people that just want to run for staying in shape that is fine. Running is the all around best and fastest way to get in total shape (areobic some strength and endurance) better of course when balanced with stretching and swimming. Running has after all been very imortant since man first got legs. It could save your life then and now just as well. Running exploded in the seventies and is still the all around excercise of choice for fitness.

We need long extensive yet gentle workouts to build a base. Progressevily increasing in duration and intensity. Then you can start pumping iron to build and difine, running marathons, or competing in world class triatholons. If you push too fast, the body breaks at it's weakest link. Start building there, take your time. If you have bad knees or back, power walking can be just as beneficial, without the intense impact.

A possible schedule combining exercises with a varying degree of aerobic training. Remember that stretching is another half hour or more at least each day. It could look something like this:

	Beginning level fitness	Average level fitness	High level fitness
Sun	rest-stretch or walk	bike or walk-hike	bike-walk, swim or play!
Mon	1 hr. gym-stretch	1-2 hrs. gym or swim	2 hrs. gym-stretch or swim
Tue	1/2 hr. walk or swim	1/2 hr. run-stretch	5-10 mile run-stretch-bike
Wed	1 hr. gym-stretch	1-2 hrs. gym or swim	1-2 hrs. gym-stretch or swim
Thu	1/2 hr. walk or swim	1/2 hr. run-stretch	5 mile run or 20 mile bike
Fri	1 hr. gym/bike	1 hr. gym or swim	2 hrs. gym-stretch or swim
Sat	1 hr. walk or swim	1-2 hrs. walk/ run	10 mile run or 30 mile bike

Note: Gym is defined as body building excercises or weight lifting. Gym could be replaced with other body strengthening exercises (surfing-kayking-hicking-windsurfing-paddling if pushed to a certain level, they can really build up some strength. The only problem is we usually can't do them as offten as we would like. Flexibility should be always part of the gym work out, at least onther half hour daily. I peronally found that using the gym you can get in shape fast and could it be a combination areobic-anarobic-flexibility workout. Sounds contraray, but the way I did it was by warming up first on a running tread mill, stretching at least 10 min. before and 20 min. after. Then lifting weights using the piramid down method. That is by starting at the heaviest weight I could lift at least 12 times. Then doing the maximum repitions and lowering the wieght by 10 pounds each time. No resting period at all! and I mean no rest, unless you can't get your breath. Pushing and breathing deeply all the way, from one station to the next, no talking to the bra's, just having intense focus on lifting. Believe me, do an hour of that and you will not only build muscle you will be breathing so hard for so long, it will soon be evedinet that it is a cardiovascular conditioning benefit as well.

For high tech training you can monitor your pulse rate and keep it at 70 to 80% of your maximum heart rate. You get that buy subtracting your age from 200 and multiplying by 70 to 80% to find your ideal training heart rate. Don't let your pulse drop below that for at least 45 min. and it will give you the best results. (200-45( age) = 155 (max) x 75% = 116 training rate to target.

All the training you do is best when you're doing some form of cross training. Just remember all the work we do on the body must be balanced, in stregnth, areobic, flexibility, enurance, or exposive use of the body. We must build it accordingly, from the needs of the working person or the high stress executive as well as top athletes, students or kids.

Many of our children are not fit, unless they are heavy into sports or surfing a lot. Other kids maybe less athletic just don't have fit bodies. I've been a fitness buff for a long time and if it's a fad as many people say, "Then all right! what a great fad it is. It can only get us healthier." that could lead to being happier as well.

This is just a simple idea for a general fitness program. There are hundreds of books out there for your information, just take care in all you do, listen to your body. If you push, gravity, weights or stress, it will all push back. Keep reading articles and books on training, for further information. For more specific training programs, call

Othon Molina, Ph.d.c, LMT,
P.O. Box 1231 Kamuela, HI 96743
Cell: (808) 895-2688