We all want to get in shape and stay fit and one of the ways we try to do this is with a gym membership. It gives you access to equipment that you might not be able to afford or have room for. But what happens when you can’t afford the membership. Here are some helpful tips for getting in shape when money is tight.
If you want to get in shape, you will want to exercise on a regular basis. Instead of just exercising every once in a while, set up a regular time for you to exercise and do it every day or every other day until it becomes a habit. The more you exercise the better shape your body will be in and the better you’ll feel.
Don’t go for an all or nothing approach when it comes to fitness. Even if you can’t fit in thirty minutes of exercise every day, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bother trying at all. Even if you can only get your thirty minutes in once a week, it’s better than nothing. You can always work up to more workouts as time goes on.
Make sure that you drink a minimum of sixty-four ounces of water each day to insure that your body stays properly hydrated. You should also drink an additional sixteen ounces of water for every hour of moderate or high intensity workout that you perform. You don’t want to risk your body becoming dehydrated.
One way to get the most out of your fitness routine is to be sure to feed your muscles carbohydrates and protein shortly after working out. This will ensure that your muscles are replenished and also that they are not sore for the next day. A good idea would be to keep an orange with you in your workout bag, and possibly a can of tuna fish once you are out of a public area.
While indoor treadmills provide great exercise, running in the outdoors is far more strenuous. Treadmills are a great bad-weather substitute, but there’s nothing quite like running on pavement.
Do not regularly use a weight training belt when lifting weights. With continued, regular use, wearing a weight belt will hinder muscle growth and weaken your lower back and abdominal muscles. Only wear your weight training belt when attempting max lifts such as deadlifts, squats, and overhead presses.
When you feel the burn, go back the next day for more! Exercising to the point that we feel it can make us really sore for days. The best way to prevent that, or at least to minimize it, is to exercise again the very next day and the day following that. It may be prudent to take it easier but don’t forgo exercise all together.
Make sure you’re stretching before and after your workouts. You want to do moving stretches, like jumping jacks and windmills, in the beginning, to loosen your muscles up. Afterwards, you should do stationary stretches to stretch out your muscles and let your body cool down, after your work out, to avoid getting any cramps.
Here’s a great way to increase your overall running speed and endurance: divide your total run into three separate periods. During the first period, keep your running speed just above your personal minimum. In the second period, increase your speed to a medium pace. When you reach the third period, increase your speed to fastest.
To properly work out your muscles, only work them out for about an hour. Working out for more than a hour generally works against you. Your body tends to produce more cortisol after about 60 minutes, and this can cause you body to both block testosterone and cause you to waste the muscle you have just gained.
Whenever your fitness routine calls for an exercise with plenty of reps, count backwards instead of forwards. By counting down from your target to zero you focus your attention on your goal. Counting up from one is not as motivational, because it encourages you to focus on how much you have done and how tired you are getting.
You should start slowly when you begin a new fitness program and work out the first time. Learn proper exercise form, technique and breathing. Being patient with yourself is necessary if you do not want to get an injury that can set you back weeks in progress. It will also prevent sheer exhaustion, which can be dangerous.
A great fitness tip is to post pictures of yourself on online forums to get a critique of your physique. Getting a critique of your physique from other people can help you see where your weak areas are. It’s easier for a stranger to look at your body objectively.
Have a rest day in-between training periods. The body naturally needs rest and over training can reduce the results when going to the gym every day. Generally break periods are a time for the muscle fibers to reconnect and form stronger connections. Most athletes realize that constant exercise will cause intense fatigue and actually detract from their fitness gains.
Start walking every day. Not only does walking improve your cardiovascular health, help you lose or maintain weight and give you more energy, it adds years to your life. In addition, those years are of better quality because you are more mobile and more fit, making it easy to enjoy the things you love well into the future.
Exercising with groups of people can inspire you to reach new heights. This is helpful because a social group can motivate a person to go above and beyond what their normal goals would be when alone. The dynamic of having other people rely upon you, or at least to share your success with will definitely be a positive benefit on your fitness.
Whether you’re walking with friends, investing in some hand weights or getting tips online, there are a variety of ways to loose weight without spending a lot of money. A new routine or a change in habits can not only help you loose weight, but can add some pennies to your piggy bank.