There’s much more to fitness than simply spending time at the gym. To reach your fitness goals and bettering your health, you need to have the knowledge of what to do, the body strength to carry out the exercises and the persistence and patience to see it through. Follow the tips below to help you enhance your fitness plan.
A lot of people regularly visit the gym and lift weights to improve their personal fitness. Truthfully, you only need to do six different exercises to get fit. These include: squats, leg raises, the pull up, bridges, the push up and handstand push ups.
Walking is a great exercise for increasing fitness. If you use your heel to push off and on to your toes last you will not put as much pressure on your calves. Give your arms a workout too by power walking (bending elbows and swinging arms as you walk.)
An easy way to lose some weight is by counting calories. Knowing your calorie count helps you determine if you’re going to gain weight or lose weight. Your fitness program will get really productive if you limit your calorie intake to your maintenance level and increase your calorie usage by working out.
There is nothing to worry about if you don’t. Biking is a great way to get into shape, too. Your commute to work each day can be enhanced by riding a bike. It is inexpensive, exhilarating and great for fitness. If your one-way commute is five miles or less, it should take you no longer than half an hour to ride to your work.
Don’t lift weights for longer than one hour. Muscle wasting can begin in as little as an hour after starting an intense workout. Keep your weight lifting regime under an hour.
Come up with unique ideas when you are planning your fitness program. There are lots of fun activities that can be done outside the gym. You will have a hard time following a program if you are not enjoying it. Try different activities and find one that you like.
Don’t focus on just using crunches to strengthen your abdomen. A well-known university study found that only one pound of fat is burned after 250,000 crunches. So, if you’re only doing crunches, you aren’t doing as much work as you could be. Work at developing your abdominal muscles in other types of exercise as well.
The frequency of your strength training depends on your personal goals. If your aim is to bulk up, you should do more intense sessions on a less frequent basis. If, on the other hand, your goal is to become toned, you should do less intense, but more frequent, sessions.
To reduce injury risk, make sure you walk properly. Your posture should be upright, and you should bring your shoulders back slightly. Have your elbows fall at a ninety-degree angle. Be sure that your arms are opposite your forward foot. Touch your heel to the ground first, and then let the rest of your foot roll in a smooth motion with each step.
If you work out while you are watching television, it will be very easy to keep up your momentum. You can use commercials as a time to have quick, short workouts. Try doing small weight training while sitting on the couch. You will always find some amount of time to squeeze a workout in, no matter how busy you are.
Wall sits are a quick and easy way to build leg strength. When doing wall sits, make sure you have an empty wall, with nothing too close to your body. Be at least eighteen inches facing away from the wall. Slowly bend at the knees until your back is resting against the wall. You should then bend the knees until the thighs and the ground are parallel and your body is in a seated position. Hold this position for as long as you possibly can.
Personal Trainer
If you want to go to the next level, consider hiring a personal trainer. A personal trainer will offer insight in addition to the motivation you need to keep working at an exercise routine. Although a personal trainer may not be for everyone, he or she can have a big influence.
Be sure you have a great pair of workout shoes before you start your exercises. If you fail to wear the proper shoes for the type of workout you favor, you are in danger of sustaining an injury. They also provide the correct cushioning for your feet so that you are more apt to stick with the workout due to comfort, rather than giving up.
Ensure that you wear appropriate shoes during exercise sessions. When you are not wearing the proper footwear you can injure your back, legs, and feet. Also, your feet may be sore or cramped after exercising, which can lead to discouragement from continuing your workouts.
Those serious about becoming more fit will work toward perfecting and constantly changing their fitness routine. With this additional fitness knowledge, you can now fine-tune your own routine or create a healthy fitness routine from scratch to help you achieve your fitness goals.