The four goals of any exercise program are cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, muscle endurance, and flexibility. Because no one exercise will give your body a complete workout, this chart will help you pick varied activities. It will also help you avoid common injuries and will pair up compatible sports.
| Body Parts Worked | Advantages | Injuries to Avoid | Complements | |
| Swimming | Upper body (chest, arms, shoulders, upper back), the cardiopulmonary system | Non-impact, so there’s no great stress to the joints. A good maintenance activity when nursing an injury | Shoulder and neck strain due to overuse, eye and ear infection and irritation | Bicycling, running, walking, climbing |
| Running and walking | Back of the legs (calves, hamstrings), buttocks, stomach. Excellent for cardiovas- cular fitness | Can be done any- where. Forces many of the larger muscle groups to be used. Easy to attain target heart rate | Strain to lower tendons and ligaments due to bad form or overuse | Swimming, weight lifting |
| Aerobic dancing | Legs and waist. Very good cardiovascular activity, depending on the rate | Much depends on the instructor or the program being followed. Variety. Convenience | Overuse injuries | Weight lifting for strength. Volleyball for coordination |
| Stretching/yoga | All parts, depending on the particular stretches | Decreases chance of injury in other sports. Helps promote a full range of motion | Hyperextension, and muscle tears when cold. Torn connectors (ligaments and tendons) | All cardiovascular activities and weight lifting |
| Downhill skiing | Front of legs, hamstrings, buttocks. Helps maintain toned stomach and hips | Maintains endurance and strength. Demands that the legs and aerobic capacity be in excellent shape | The sport on this list most liable to cause injury due to falls, exhaustion, hypothermia, and natural hazards | Bicycling, running, swimming with a kickboard, and weight lifting |
| Cross-country skiing | Entire upper and lower torso; the best cardiovascular workout available | This exercise works more muscles than any other activity. Low impact | Shoulder and hip strain due to overuse or bad technique | Swimming or weight lifting |
| Racket sports | No real fitness benefit, unless extended, high- paced volleys are maintained | Increases flexibility and agility. Builds muscle endurance if played at advanced level | Strains to hand, forearm, and elbow tendons, ankles, and knees. Back muscle strain | Running, weight lifting, aerobic dancing, bicycling |
| Bicycling | Lower torso, hips, thighs, calves. If a vigorous pace is kept, it’s also an excellent cardiovascular activity | Non-impact. Less strain and pounding on muscles. Changes in scenery. Variety | Falls due to traffic hazards | Swimming, weight lifting, racket sports |
| Weight lifting | Any muscle group | Builds muscular strength, size, and endurance. Lets you isolate and work specific areas of the body | Muscle strain if too much weight is attempted or technique is wrong | Any aerobic activity (such as running, bicycling, and cross country skiing) |
