Staying fit requires two main things, a willingness to work and a willingness to stick with it. People go into a new fitness routine with a huge sense of enthusiasm and excitement, but as the time goes on the novelty wears off, and so does the workrate. Use these tips to keep you motivated.
A good idea to lose weight is to join a recreational sport. Cardio can be very boring and a lot of people loathe the idea of running in place on a treadmill. Joining a recreational sport will keep things interesting and you’ll also be burning a lot of calories in the process.
It can always be difficult to find time for exercise. If you have problems finding the time (or energy) to put in an hour a day in at the gym, try breaking it up into ten minute incraments. Even three ten-minute stints of activity a day, can boost your heart rate throughout the day. Many people also find that by adding ten-minute bursts of activity into their schedule, they have more stamina and are able to increase the amount of energy they put into each activity.
A good way to help you lose weight is to try your hand at rock climbing. Rock climbing is one of the hardest physical activities you can engage in. If you have the stomach for it, you’ll be burning more calories than you can count, and you’ll be fit in no time.
Lifting weight should be limited to an hour or less. If you exercise with weights beyond an hour, you can damage your muscles. Keep your weight training under an hour.
Wear shoes that are appropriate for the kind of workout you’re doing. The right pair of shoes can make or break your workout and may be the difference between continuing or stopping. Try on different shoes to make sure you have on the most comfortable pair and make sure to replace them when they get worn.
If you’re cycling, whether one a stationary bike or a real one, try to keep your speed between about 80 RPM and 110 RPM. You’ll be able to go much longer before you get tired and you won’t put as much strain on your knees. You can figure out your RPMs by counting the number of times your right leg comes to the top of the pedal in ten seconds and then multiply that by 6.
If you do not like a certain workout, instead of putting it off, you should try and get good at it. Most likely, you do not like the workout because it is too difficult for you or you cannot do it well. By doing the workout, you will build more strength towards your weakness.
A great fitness tip is to perform upright rows. Upright rows are a great exercise that can help develop your deltoids and your biceps. To correctly perform the upright row you’ll want to grab the bar at shoulder width. Then you’ll want to lift your elbows up while keeping the bar close to your body.
Rest is critical to any fitness program or regimen. Ensure that you are getting the proper amount of sleep (6-8 hours per night, depending on your particular age and body type). In addition to regular, nightly sleep, you will need to build periods of rest into your exercise schedule to avoid damaging your joints, overloading your muscles and injuring yourself.
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.
As you age, hold your stretches for longer than you used to. Older muscles tighten and get fatigued much more easily, so you need to spend extra time loosening them up to prevent injury. Doubling the time you spend on stretches, for about every ten years of exercise, is the best method.
If you often use the excuse that you’re just too busy to exercise, one day try scheduling in a quick session of something you enjoy. Then look back at your day and see if your productivity really suffered. Usually the answer is no, and you will have just rid yourself of another excuse not to exercise!
If you are lifting weights to work your biceps, ensure that you use proper form. When you perform an exercise incorrectly, you risk injury. Extend the wrists backward slightly, and hold it in that position while lifting. You should release your wrists slowly back to a normal position. In combination and repetition, this will build up the strength and endurance of your biceps at an astounding rate.
When strength training for health and fitness, make sure that for each set of abdominal exercises you perform, you do a corresponding set of lower back exercises. This is an important tip to follow, because concentrating only on abdominal muscles and neglecting your back, can cause poor posture and chronic low back pain.
You need tight shoes to climb rocks. If you intend to add rock or wall climbing to your fitness program, do not pick your shoes the way you would select running or walking shoes. Climbing shoes should be so tight that you cannot walk comfortably in them. Control and sensitivity are paramount in climbing shoes.
Whether a person is planning on running a significant distance or a short distance, it is important to breathe in so that your stomach rises while you are inhaling. By doing this, you are ensuring that your lungs are getting fully inflated with oxygen, making it possible to increase the length of your run.
Consistency, consistency, consistency! These are the hallmarks of ANY fitness routine. If you can maintain your plan you will succeed. Use these tips to find new ways to work out or new reasons to keep up your motivation. Remember, we only get one body; let’s treat it right.