Is it possible for just one fitness activity to meet all of your fitness needs? That, of course, depends in part on your fitness needs. Those looking to enhance their health and improve their functional strength (the kind of strength needed to carry out daily tasks, such as picking up kids, walking up stairs, etc.) need much less than those training for triathlons.

Sometimes it seems as if dancing your way to health just isn't enough these days. With all the interesting twists to exercise these days, you have the right to be a little confused. Just how much exercise does a body need to get fit anyway?

First, let's define "overall fitness". Most fitness professionals agree that cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition (the amount of fat compared to lean tissue you have) are the essential components to health-related fitness. Your exercise program should impact each of these areas.

What does it take to rid your body of unnecessary fat, improve your flexibility, and enhance the strength of your heart and muscles? The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has set forth the following minimum exercise recommendations for achieving overall fitness. The degree to which you follow the guidelines will depend on three things. First, your current level of fitness; second, your fitness needs; and third, your fitness goals.

1. Type of Activity:
   Any activity that uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously, and is rhythmical and aerobic in nature.

2. Frequency of Aerobic Activity:
   3-5 days per week.

3. Intensity of Aerobic Activity:
   55-90% of maximum heart rate.

4. Duration of Aerobic Activity:
   15-60 minutes of continuous or discontinuous activity.

5. Resistance Training:
   Strength training, a minimum of two days per week, sufficient to develop and maintain fat-free weight, and condition the major muscle groups. Although resistance training equipment may provide a better graduated stimulus, calisthenics and other resistance types of exercise are still effective in improving and maintaining strength.

6. Flexibility exercises:
   A well-rounded exercise program should include stretching exercises to increase overall flexibility.

Does your exercise activity fulfill the ACSM's recommendations for achieving overall fitness? Let's see how the Jazzercise program measures up to their guidelines.

1. Type of Activity?
   Jazzercise is an aerobic program.

2. Frequency of Aerobic Activity?
   This ones up to you! Many areas (Annapolis included) provide Jazzercise classes on a daily basis.

3. Intensity of Aerobic Activity?
   Again, this ones up to you! Jazzercise routines are choreographed to get your heart pumping in the "training zone". Recent, in-house research studies indicate that students, regardless of fitness level, have little problem maintaining 60-90% of maximum heart rate throughout the aerobic segment.

4. Duration of Aerobic Activity?
   Jazzercise provides a minimum of 20-25 minutes of aerobic conditioning (up to 45 minutes in some formats).

5. Resistance training?
   Jazzercise provides calisthenic-type exercises and weight resisted exercises which work the major muscle of the body, i.e., abdominals, gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings, chest, arms, back and shoulders.

6. Flexibility exercises?
   Dynamic stretching movements are provided during the warm-up and cool-down routines, static stretching exercises are provided during aerobic cool-down and after each muscle strengthening routine.

You be the judge. Does Jazzercise measure up to ACSM's standards? You bet it does! All you need to do is show up at least three times per week and join in the fun! Can you do more? Absolutely! But whatever fitness needs and desires you may have, always take a sensible approach to exercise. Research continues to prove it doesn't take as much as you may think to make positive changes in your health and body. For many, simply feeling better - both inside and out - is enough.

Additional information from Jazzercise research:

1. Jazzercise provides a challenging aerobic segment which allows students, regardless of fitness level, to achieve and maintain training levels as defined by the ACSM - for the entire aerobic segment.

2. The warm-up segment is sufficient to elevate heart rates into training zones.

3. Jazzercise provides a progressive "aerobic curve" with gradually increasing and decreasing intensities.

4. The Target Heart Rate formula is an accurate estimate of determining exercise training levels in a Jazzercise class.

5. The Perceived Exertion Method of monitoring intensity is accurate without knowledge of heart rate and appears to be able to stand alone in a Jazzercise class.

6. A Jazzercise class burns more than enough calories to positively impact a weight loss program (approximately 300 calories).

From the site formerly known as physical.com