Maintaining a physically fit body is vital to being healthy. Fitness centers can help us to keep in shape. In a fitness center, one would find a lot of equipment in which he can physically exercise to gain fitness and health.

Below is a listing of the equipment and programs commonly found in fitness studios:

* Treadmill

This is a piece of sporting equipment that allows the user to run without actually moving a distance. The word treadmill is used to refer to a kind of mill which is run to grind grain.

The treadmill operates by the principle called belt system in which the top side of the belt runs to the rear so that the runner could run the same distance. Therefore, the speed of the mill can be measured or set since the rate of the belt equals the rate of the runner.

* Weight training

Weight training is under the strength training program designed to develop the size of skeletal muscles and physical strength. It uses the principle of gravity; the trainees force would be used to oppose the pull of the earth. This weight training makes use of different kinds of equipment to develop specific groups of muscles. Dumbbells, weighted bars or weight stacks are the most commonly used.

* Cycling

Cycling is commonly done by people who want to improve their cardiovascular health and fitness. In this view, cycling is particularly beneficial for those suffering from arthritis and for those who are not fitted to play rigid sports like running which require strength of the joints.

* Swimming

Swimming is a very good exercise to gain fitness and health. Swimming is also usually recommended for those who with disabilities or who want to rehabilitate after injuries.

* Racquetball

Racquetball is a sport game where racquets are used along with a hollow rubber ball. This can be played either in indoor or outdoor courts. Unlike other racquet sports like badminton and tennis, the usage of the floor, ceiling, and walls of the court is legal instead of out-of-bounds. Two players are involved in the game, although some variations of this game have three and four players.

* Aerobics

Aerobic classes usually include stepping patterns, done with music and signals directed by an instructor. Researches show that aerobic is one of the healthiest exercises. Aerobics, literally meaning “with oxygen”, helps the body to use consume the oxygen more efficiently by training the lungs and heart. This helps to reduce stress and to control weight.

* Basketball

While this very common sport is an indoor game, other variations have been popular as this sport can also be played outdoors.

* Yoga Yoga focuses on meditation. It is considered as a way to both spiritual and physiological mastery.

* Martial arts

Martial arts are structures of arranged traditions and practices of combat training. Martial arts today are not just being learned for combat purposes, but also for fitness and health, self-defense, mental discipline, self-cultivation, and character development.

* Physical therapy

Physical therapy deals in maximizing and identifying movement potential in promotion, treatment, prevention and rehabilitation. This includes services that are concerned with circumstances where function and movement are threatened by injury, disease, or aging.