The Pillars of Exercise

The Four Pillars of Exercise: Finding Balance in Your Activity Habits

Exercise is a cornerstone of health and wellness. Its benefits—ranging from physical fitness to mental wellbeing—are well documented. But when it comes to incorporating exercise into your life, it’s essential to understand how your activity habits align with the four key dimensions of physical activity. At Atlas, we believe in tailoring exercise to fit individual needs and we’re here to guide you through these core areas.

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1. Cardiovascular Fitness

For many, cardiovascular fitness is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of exercise. It encompasses two main types:

• Aerobic activity, like brisk walking, jogging, or cycling, where your heart rate is elevated but you can sustain the effort over time.
• Anaerobic activity, which occurs when you increase the intensity to a point where you’re out of breath, such as sprinting or high-intensity intervals. This type uses different energy systems in the body.

Both forms of cardiovascular exercise are important, but their effects on the body differ. It’s also worth noting that what feels aerobic for one person might be anaerobic for another, as exercise tolerance varies widely between individuals.

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2. Strength Training

Strength, or resistance training, is another key component of exercise. Many people see this as lifting weights in the gym, however, as we like to remind people, this is just one approach. Weights, gym memberships and special equipment are not essential for strength training.

• Bodyweight exercises like push-ups or squats are highly effective.
• Resistance bands and functional movements can also build strength without needing specialised equipment.

Strength training has many health benefits, including improved bone health, joint stability, and overall physical performance.

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3. Neuromotor

Neuromotor or neuromuscular exercise, often overlooked, focuses on balance, agility, and coordination. This aspect is about improving your ability to adapt to sudden changes in your environment, like recovering from a stumble or navigating uneven terrain. Neuromotor exercises enhance your body’s capacity to respond dynamically, reducing the risk of injury in daily life.

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4. Mobility and Flexibility

Mobility is the fourth pillar of functional movement and exercise. This is often lost over time, and a function of tightness of certain muscles and weakness of others. One of the reasons mobility is important is that the body will generally find a way to compensate for poor mobility in one area by putting strain on another to ensure that overall function is maintained. This can have negative consequences over time. In this day and age, our daily lives lend themselves to losing mobility, unless we push back.

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The Atlas Perspective

At Atlas, we encourage you to think holistically about exercise. This doesn’t mean dedicating hours every day to separate workouts for each category. Many activities can span multiple categories, offering time-efficient solutions for busy lives.

By considering all four dimensions of exercise, you can build a balanced routine that supports your health, performance, and longevity. This holistic approach is what drives our work at Atlas, and we’re here to help you find what works best for you.

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