Do you stick to one type of exercise all the time? Are you the type of person that tries pilates for a while then switches to strength training then back to pilates then tries running for a while? Do you try to incorporate all types of exercise at once in an attempt to be balanced? The tendency to stick to the same thing or try too many things at once is only human nature. We are either creatures of habit, insanely curious, and sometimes both, so it's only natural to go from one extreme to the other. The key to ultimate fitness, health, and happiness lies somewhere in between these two extremes and can easily be uncovered simply by paying attention to your body.

Not Listening To Our Bodies
Our bodies often give us cues about what we need but we're so stressed and out of tune with ourselves that we ignore these cues and end up injured and miserable. Last year I craved longer less strenous walks and yoga, which I had never really practiced much. I dreaded heavy lifting and hardcore cardio but continued doing it because everybody I worked with was pushing me to go harder. Within months my immune system crashed and I got a cold and eventually a terrible case of bronchitis that landed me in the emergency room. In addition my over-developed quads threw me off balance and re-activated injuries that had not bothered me in years. The end result was sessions with a Rolfer who taught me that balanced fitness and listening to my body are more important than pushing hard. He recommended that I stop lifting heavy, focus on flexibility, and stop running for a while, exactly what I had felt all along.

Find The Right Balance
All fitness programs should address cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, and strength but you need the perfect combination of each for your unique body and current circumstances. The quick guide below will help you find the perfect balance for an hour of exercise.

The 20-20-20 Combo
20 minutes of challenging cardio, 20 minutes of intense strength training, and 20 minutes of full body stretching. This combo is perfect for healthy people who are busy, have normal stress levels, and want to make progress at a moderate pace.

The 30-15-15 Combo
30 minutes of moderately challenging cardio, 15 minutes of challenging strength training, and 15 minutes of relaxing stretching. This mix is great for people who are super stressed, completely fatigued, or have nagging aches and pains (not serious injuries), but still want somewhat of a challenge.

The 10-20-30 Combo
10 minutes of rehab strength training, 20 minutes of easy cardio, 30 minutes of focused stretching. This match is ideal for people who have major injuries or illnesses, overtrained athletes, and those who are completely burned out with their fitness programs and need a break.

Choose your perfect balance then plug in the types of exercise that suit you best. i.e. If the first combo is good for you and you like a challenge then try 20 min. of Cardio Coach Vol 3., 20 min. of Bootcamp, and 20 min. of Online Yoga. If the second combo is for you try 30 minutes of Crunch Fat Burning Ab Attack and 30 minutes of Winsor Pilates Ab Sculpting - Sculpt Your Body Slim. If the last combo is your match then try 10 minutes of core training, 20 mintues of Leslie Sansone - Walk Away the Lbs Express 3-Pack, and 30 minutes of Baron Baptiste: Journey Into Power Level 1. These are just a few examples of how to mix it up. With so many awesome workouts available on dvd, online, and at the gym, The combinations are endless. Once you've trained on this schedule for 2-3 weeks re-evalutate your needs and switch things around a bit to progress with your body and to prevent boredom, injuries, and plateaus. If you plan to train longer than one hour a day then adjust the segments according to the length of your workouts.

Awesome Yoga Workout: Baron Baptiste: Live - Core Power