Fitness can be an exciting thing. In terms of taking better care of yourself and sculpting your body so that you can live a happier and healthier life is truly an exciting thing. To start learning some basics as to how to make this work for you, refer to the tips below.
Swimming is a great form of exercise and it doesn’t put any stress on the body. When you swim you are working all the muscles in your body giving your whole body a nice relaxed workout. If you are not used to swimming then it may take awhile to get used to it but you’ll come to enjoy it in time.
If jogging or hitting the gym is not your thing and you love gardening, how about getting the shovel and wheelbarrow out and getting in a little exercise in your yard? In fact, the National Institute of Health, lists gardening among the moderate exercises that are recommeneded for combating obesity. Just weeding for 30 minutes can burn over 150 calories and you’ll work muscles in your back, legs and arms, without the jarring that jogging and aerobic exercises puts your body through. So the next time you dread putting on your jogging shoes, pick up a hoe and take care of that flower bed you’ve been meaning to get to, for the last month. It’s fun and great for your body.
If you are stuck at a plateu in your strength training routine, supersets will take you to the next level. When you do supersets it involves doing two different exercises, working the same muscle group, with little rest in-between. Supersets demand more from your muscles and need to be used only sparingly.
Keep track of all of your activities each day. Write down every exercise you do and every morsel of food you put into your body. You should even jot down the weather you had that day. This can help you reflect on anything that affected your day. If you were unable to exercise for a day or two, then write down the reason why.
Try to devise a healthy eating plan and diet for yourself in addition to your workout regime. The healthier you eat the easier it is to get into shape. You should also notice that you have more energy when you workout when you eat healthier as well. Remember you are what you eat and your body reacts to what you put into it.
When doing squats, don’t rest the bar on your neck. Resting it on your neck will make the entire weight press on your spine which will make muscle and spinal injuries more possible. Hold the bar as low as possible on your shoulders, this will help save your neck.
You can build up your physical strength through the use of lighter weights. Your muscles will have just as much force as when you lift heavier weights, except you will be going much slower. These are especially great for bench-presses. Go with about 40-60% of what you usually lift and do 8 sets of 12 repetitions pushing the weight up quickly. Have a 30 second rest period between sets.
You should try to keep your body as limber as possible. You should hold your stretches for 30 seconds if you are under 40 years old. If you are over 40, you should hold your stretches for one minute. As you become older, your muscles get less pliable. As a result, your stretches need to be held for longer.
If you are going to be running uphill, your posture greatly effects how well you can do it. You should always try to keep your head up and be looking at the top of the hill whenever you run uphill. Using this posture, it will make it easier to breathe. It becomes harder to breathe when your are hunched forward.
If you want to see immediate improvements in your bench press, try doing bench presses while looking at your dominant hand. Doing this will allow you to be able to lift more weight. However, you should never turn your head because this could cause injury. Instead, use your peripheral vision.
A great fitness tip is to perform front squats. Adding front squats to your routine is a great way to target your quadriceps in a different way than regular squats. All you do for a front squat is place the bar with the weights against your collarbone, in front of your neck.
When you reach the age of forty, it’s important to start holding your stretches longer. At this age, your muscles begin to lose pliability. They need extra time in the stretch to get the same effect. A good rule of thumb is to hold stretches for half a minute, if you are under forty and for a full minute, if you are over forty.
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.
Using a treadmill to warm up before exercises is not effective. It is not stretching out the muscles you will be using during your workout routine. Instead, hold on to a bar and two sets of ten repetitions each of the bent- over row, squats and deadlifts. These will stretch the proper muscles.
One way to get fit is to replace all your lazy sedentary habits with active habits. For example if you watch TV for about three hours a day this can be replaced with a one hour walk and two hours of TV. By doing this you get some exercise into your regimen and don’t sacrifice something you enjoy.
So, now do you see why fitness is such an exciting thing? Discovering your own fitness plan and working upon it to make yourself stronger, leaner, and healthier is definitely exciting. The tips above should have created a good foundation for you to build upon and find your own fitness routine.