5 most important types of exercises to add to your routine   

Taking part in different types of exercises is not only important for physical health but crucial for mental health as well. Moreover, it prevents illnesses and other health issues, keeping you fit and healthy.

Whether your goal is to lose weight, boost functional strength or enhance your overall flexibility, incorporating all forms of exercises into your routine is very important.

To help you start your fitness journey, we have listed the five most important types of exercises you should add to your routine.

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Different types of exercises to do every day

Here we explain the different types of exercises and their benefits:

#1 Aerobic exercise

Boxing is a type of aerobic exercise. (Photo via Pexels/Sabel Blanco)

Aerobic exercises, like dancing, swimming, jogging, kickboxing or walking, target the cardiovascular system by elevating heart rate and making it harder for you to breathe. Most aerobic exercise sessions involve warming up, followed by exercising for 20-30 minutes and then cooling down.

Benefits of aerobic exercises include:

• Reducing risks of cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes
• Reducing chances of cancers
• Improving muscle strength in the heart, lungs and entire body
• Improving blood circulation in the muscles
• Increasing red blood cells in the body
• Boosting bone growth and reducing risk of osteoporosis

#2 Anaerobic exercise

Anaerobic exercises are generally used to build muscle mass, power and strength. These types of exercises involve high-intensity activities, with each exercise lasting no longer than two minutes, as they can lead to muscle strain and injuries.

Anaerobic exercises include strength training (weightlifting), sprinting, isometrics and high intensity interval training. Benefits of anaerobic exercise include:

• Increased power
• Increased bone strength and density
• Weight maintenance
• Increased metabolism
• Reducing risks of disease
• Boosting muscle development
• Protecting muscle mass as you age

#3 Stability and balance exercise

Balance exercises are important for older adults. (Photo via Pexels/T Leish)

Balance and stability exercises like single-leg yoga poses, split squats, tai chi and stability ball exercises help improve the body’s mobility and balance and prevent falls.

Although balance exercises are particularly beneficial for seniors, as their stability gets affected with age, these exercises are important for everyone, including pregnant women and people recovering from injuries and surgeries.

Benefits of balance and stability exercises include:

• Preventing age-related loss of mobility and balance
• Promoting better posture
• Preventing falls
• Faster recovering from injuries
• Boosting coordination

#4 Flexibility and stretching exercise

Flexibility training involves stretching the muscles and boosting overall range of motion.

These types of exercises improve flexibility, preventing strains and injuries during athletic movements and other activities. There are two types of stretching you can do to enhance your flexibility – static and dynamic.

Benefits of stretching and flexibility exercises include:

• Reducing muscle tightness
• Boosting range of motion
• Improving posture
• Easing post-workout pains and aches
• Reducing stress
• Preparing the body for strenuous workouts
• Reducing muscle tension
• Improving blood circulation
• Reducing risks of lower back pain

#5 Agility exercise

Sports like badminton requires agility training. (Photo via Pexels/SHVETS production)

These types of exercises help improve ability to maintain control when performing different movements, including changing direction and speeding up.

Agility training is particularly important for people who regularly take part in sports that rely on balance, speed and coordination. These include volleyball, tennis, basketball, football, hockey, martial arts, badminton, soccer, wrestling and boxing.

Benefits of agility training include:

• Preventing injuries
• Boosting cognitive function
• Improving balance and coordination
• Improving recovery times

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Ideally, you must add all five types of exercises to your workout sessions. You can combine different forms of exercises to achieve the best results.

For example, you can combine balance training with strength training movements and perform a few exercises while standing on one leg or using a stability or BOSU ball.