Many people are under the misconception that if they are thin they are fit. There are many thin people who have high cholesterol, high blood pressure and are really, not as fit as they think they are. There are some things that you should consider if you want to know just how fit you really are.
Whatever fitness routine you choose, be sure to include cardio-vascular exercise. Staying heart and lung healthy is extremely important, and a cardio workout will do just that for your body. Try to do 30 minutes of cardio or aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week. This can take the form of running, biking, using a treadmill or elliptical trainer, or swimming. Remember not to overdo it. If you find yourself short of breath, you should take a break until your heart rate slows down.
If you wish to get more bulk from exercise or go the body building route, you may need to take a protein supplement. Protein supplements are made from whey, soy or casein. They deliver protein to the body quicker than other forms when digested because they can be easily dissolved in water or other fluids, for consumption.
Some dieters overdo their exercise programs in order to burn extra calories. This isn’t good because it can damage your muscles and joints. It can also lead to heart problems and dehydration problems as well. Don’t push yourself too hard and try to reach a state where fat isn’t being metabolized.
Use light exercise to recover from a hard muscle workout the day prior. Make sure you are exercising the same muscles as you did the day prior. Light weight is about 20% of what you originally used for lifting at one time. Use these light weights to do two sets of 25 repetitions to create more blood flow to repair your hurt muscles.
Change the exercises around that you do often. By alternating exercises, you will avoid boredom and prevent your body from plateauing. Combine high intensity exercises like kick boxing with low or medium intensity exercises such as walking or jogging. Keeping it fresh will keep you interested as well as helping your body.
To get the most optimum weight workout possible, keep your sessions to sixty minutes or less. If you continue your weight workout past the hour mark, your body actually starts creating more cortisol, a stress hormone, which can block testosterone and actually waste your muscles instead of building them.
Try to mix it up during your work outs. Keep it fresh and try new machines. Look up new work outs that you can try and new exercises. This will help keep it more interesting when you work out and will lead to working out more parts of your muscle.
Water is the best liquid that you can drink before, during and after your workouts. Instead of consuming a protein drink, which is packed with calories and sugar, drink water instead. Water will help to flush the toxins out of your body so that you can feel great during your workout.
In a fitness program centered around running, the exercise schedule should include long-term allowances for recovery and rest. One week out of every six needs to be a light week with sharply reduced goals for speed and distance. A good rule of thumb is to work out only half as hard during this rest week.
When you are trying to reach your fitness goals, it can be very useful to have an exercise buddy. Each one of you can spur the other on to stick with your scheduled program of exercise. On a day when you might otherwise skip your workout, you may find yourself more motivated to exercise if you know someone else is counting on you.
Stretching and cool-down are an important parts of any workout. After your workout, stretching the primary muscles will aid in their recovery. Stretch and hold it for longer than you did while stretching before your workout. You need to hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds post workout. Stretching after your workout will help your muscles return to a normal range of motion and help to prevent injuries.
Strength training is a crucial part to any fitness program. When doing weight bearing exercises, to increase muscle tissue you should do 8-12 repetitions of each exercise. Do the exercise until you are to the point of voluntary fatigue, where the last few repetitions are difficult, but not so difficult that form is compromised.
It is a good idea to satisfy your sugar cravings immediately after a workout. The reason for this is that and sugars you eat after working out, in conjunction with your post workout protein shake, will help carry protein to the muscles you have just fatigued. This is the best time of the day to introduce sugar to your diet.
Enlist the help of a friend to help you achieve your fitness goals. Working out with a buddy makes it much easier to push past your weaknesses and strive to do better. You both can motivate each other to go as far as possible.
Try setting up challenges with your friends. See who can do the most sit ups or push ups in a weekend. See who can run or walk the most in a month. Little challenges like these can give you a motivation boost to kick up your exercising habits.
There are several things involved in attaining physical fitness. One point some people don’t think about is proper nutrition. Beginning with a healthy diet and exercising will usually result in being fit. One decision to be made is how fit you want to be and how hard you are willing to work to get there.
The information that has been provided above should have given you an idea for just how fit you really are. If you are not as fit as you would like to be, it is important for you to start making changes now while you can still fix your overall fitness.