Type

• Working out can be just about anything that elevates your heart rate and gets your blood flowing. The most common types of working out are found in gymnasiums. There are aerobic exercises like running, biking and swimming. These activities increase your respiration and cardio activity over longer periods of time. Aerobic workouts tend to last between 20 minutes and one hour. Anaerobic exercise is also popular. These are high intensity exercise over a short period of time. Examples of anaerobic exercise are weight lifting, sprinting and hitting a heavy bag. Flexibility exercises like yoga and Tai Chi are low impact but still provide challenging worksouts. Many people prefer to participate in organized sports like basketball, softball or tennis to work out.
  
  

Benefits

• There are many benefits to working out. Regular workouts keep your muscle, bones and joints fit. They help you maintain a healthy weight, a strong immune system and keep you happy. Studies show that people who exercise regularly suffer fewer psychological problems. Regular workouts help prevent disease and contribute to a longer life. Working out when you are young helps you remain healthy as you age. You will maintain more muscle mass, bone density and brain function in old age.
  
  

Time Frame

• It does not take long to reap the benefits of working out. The key is consistency. Regular moderate exercise by people who did not work out before is shown to vastly improve their health in just a few weeks. People who are obese can lose a considerable amount of weight by simply increasing their physical activity over several months. Working out provides the body with benefits long after the work out is over. Studies show that metabolism remains elevated for hours or even days after an intense workout. That means you burn more calories even when you are resting after a workout.
  
  

Risk Factors

• It is possible to become addicted to working out. When people over-exercise, they damage their bodies. Workout addicts have been known to exercise despite torn muscles, worn out joints and broken bones. Working out when you are injured causes worse injuries. Exercise also impacts people in different ways. Some respond quickly to working out and reap the benefits right away. Others see very few changes in their body after a significant time working out. These factors are both genetic and environmental. They can be frustrating for someone committed to working out but isn't getting the positive feedback of noticeable results.
  
  

Misconceptions

• There are many misconceptions when it comes to working out. It is commonly believed that working out can kill you if you are sick or elderly. Doctors advise patients to get a reasonable amount of exercise under proper supervision. Exercise is good for everyone under the right conditions. Some people believe that you can lose weight in a specific part of your body with a specific exercise. This is a myth. In order to lose body fat in any area you must work out your entire body. It is also believed that weight lifting is bad because the muscle you gain will later turn to fat. This is completely false. Muscle does not turn to fat.