Everybody wants to feel fit and healthy, but sometimes it’s so hard to get in to the right habits to reach our goals. To help you get going on efforts that will pay off, we’ve put together this list of fitness tips that will get you into shape in no time.
If you want to get into shape, the best thing you can do is to combine different types of exercises. To get the most out of your time you want to work all your different muscle groups. Do arm exercises, leg exercises, and cardio exercises on a regular basis to make sure that you entire body gets a good work out.
To help you perform your best during your workout, you need to stay hydrated. Losing even one percent of your body weight through sweat can place added stress to your cardiovascular system. Two hours before working out drink at least 16 ounces of water. During your workout drink five to ten ounces every 15 to 20 minutes. When you are finished with your workout drink at least 16 ounces of water for each pound of weight loss due to sweat.
Taking up a sport can be a great help to a personal fitness routine. A sport that requires some cardiovascular exertion and muscle strength will provide the benefits of exercise that every fitness program should include. A sport that you enjoy can be easier to participate in and stick with than simply working out for the sake of working out.
The best fitness tip for recovering from an injury is to try to get out there as soon as you feel healthy. You want to minimize your down time, so it is best to get back out there as soon as you can, but to cut down the strength of your workout considerably. Test yourself and stop if you feel any pain.
A really good way to help you get fit is to put up pictures of your ideal body around your house. By constantly being aware of the body you want to have, you’ll be more likely to stick with your fitness goals. You can get creative with where you place these pictures.
To help remain motivated try different fitness classes. Rotating among different types of exercises can give you the opportunity to find several that you love and keep you going back for more. If you have not yet, try a dance or yoga class to mix it up. Think about signing up for boot camps or give kickboxing a go. If you don’t like a class, you don’t have to go back, and you will have burned some calories.
Don’t limit yourself to working out indoors. Every season can provide you great opportunities for getting some exercise outside. Try going to the beach in the summer and playing some volleyball with friends. Local hikes are always a wonderful option during the fall. Skiing and snowboarding can burn some serious calories during the winter.
All the major clubs offer fitness classes for those who wish to exercise in a group setting. Definitely choose this option if seeing others working out for a goal inspires you. You can find stretching, aerobics, kickboxing and swimming, among the classes offered. You can also incorporate the knowledge that you obtain during classes, into your own home exercise program.
When you are doing crunches, hold your tongue on the roof of your mouth during the duration of the crunches. It may seem silly, but when you do this, your head will align properly during this exercise. Using this method, you will greatly lower the strain on your neck while performing crunches.
In between your workouts, you should try and change the grip on the bar that you use. Some people use a medium grip, while others use a large or wide grip. Changing the grip actually changes the type of muscle that you can work out, and you can get a variety of work outs for a single bar.
Swimming is a wonderful form of exercise to maximize your overall fitness level. When you swim, you are pushing every muscle on your body to the limit, allowing for proper growth. Go to an indoor pool with a friend or take swimming lessons if you want to get in fantastic shape.
Walking 30 minutes a day can help increase bone mass. Many studies prove that individuals who do just 30 minutes of walking, a few times a week, have a higher bone mineral density than those who don’t. Experts often suggest it takes high impact activity to see an increase in bone mass, but with a little bit of walking, you can work to increase your bone mass.
Try doing planks. If your usual abdominal routine consists of crunches and other moves done while lying on the floor, you may be developing a lopsided core. To remedy this, incorporate planks into your abdominal workout which will engage and strengthen the entire core from front to back. You will also see the benefits in the form of decreased lower back pain.
Read up on how the body works. You will find it quite helpful when making diet and exercise decisions if you understand how the body works. Certain foods will digest faster than others and others will just basically turn to fat. Learning as much as possible will help in the long run.
Don’t let the cold weather cause you to abandon your fitness plan. A great way to stay motivated even in the coldest months is to take a “before” picture of yourself. Hang that picture on the refrigerator or somewhere where it will be seen all of the time, so you can be reminded of the importance of keeping up your fitness plan. Whether your “before” picture is a picture that you love or one that you can’t stand and want to improve, it will keep you motivated for sure!
What’s better than setting a goal, sticking to your plan, and then seeing the great results? We hope these tips will inspire you to get going, get fit, and feel better than ever. Come back and read these tips again when you feel you need a bit of motivation. You can do this!