| Fitness refers to your heart, and the harder | | | | very fit and help to prevent injuries.Each |
| you exercise, the more fit you become. But | | | | sport stresses specific muscle groups. |
| every time you exercise vigorously your | | | | Cycling stresses the upper legs, while rowing |
| muscles are injured, and the harder you | | | | stresses your back and upper body. If you |
| exercise, the longer it takes for your | | | | cycle and row on the same day, you stress |
| muscles to heal. Muscle biopsies done the day | | | | your upper legs and upper body on the same |
| after a person exercises vigorously show | | | | day. To reduce your chances of injuring |
| bleeding into the muscles and disruption of | | | | yourself, you should take the next day off, |
| the Z-bands that hold muscle filaments | | | | or at least exercise at a very low intensity. |
| together. You are not supposed to exercise | | | | If you cycle on Monday and row on Tuesday, |
| vigorously again until the muscle soreness | | | | you allow your muscles 48 hours to recover |
| disappears.Most competitive athletes set up | | | | from each sport. Pick two sports that use |
| training programs so they exercise vigorously | | | | different muscle groups and do them on |
| enough on one day to make their muscles feel | | | | alternate days. You can then exercise more |
| sore for the next day or two and then after | | | | intensely in each sport and achieve a higher |
| the soreness disappears, they exercise | | | | level of fitness.Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a |
| vigorously again. You can use the same | | | | radio talk show host for 25 years and |
| principle in your exercise program to achieve | | | | practicing physician for more than 40 years; |
| a higher level of fitness. You can exercise | | | | he is board certified in four specialties, |
| vigorously on one day and easy on the next | | | | including sports medicine. Read or listen to |
| few days or until the soreness disappears, OR | | | | hundreds of his fitness and health reports at |
| you can train in two or three sports. This is | | | | weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and |
| called cross-training, and it can make you | | | | nutrition. |