When you are feeling fit, it makes everything you do feel easier and achieving your personal goals seems like a breeze. But getting the information you need may seem like a difficult task and you feel you could use some help to get going. Try some of the fitness tips below to get started.
At the end of your exhaustive workout session, rather than reaching for a sports drink or water, try chocolate milk. Chocolate milk has been shown to hydrate as well as water but speeds the recovery time of athletes in training. You will be able to return to another workout session faster than if you had chosen a different beverage.
Set realistic fitness goals by considering the time you have available and your current level of physical fitness. By setting realistic goals you are less likely to get discouraged and give up. Goals also help you track your progress so you can adjust your goals as necessary to achieve an optimum fitness level.
It’s important to replenish your body’s sodium levels when you exercise, so make sure you aren’t letting them dip too low. Most sports drinks contain plenty of sodium, or you can add an electrolyte supplement to water. Keep an eye out for any symptoms of low sodium, such as headaches, muscle cramps and disorientation.
Schedule your time to workout the same way you schedule your important appointments. Your health and fitness are just as important to your life as your next doctor’s appointment, so treat it the same way. Setting your workouts in your calendar will make you more likely to take the time and do them.
Improve your running by learning to breath properly. To breathe properly when running, lift your tummy as you inhale. Doing this causes your lungs to fully inflate with oxygen so that you can run for a longer period of time. You can practice by laying on the floor with a book on your tummy. The book should rise as you inhale.
Are you bored with your exercise habits? Try taking a social dance class. You’ll meet people and learn new skills while having fun and getting fit. Let your taste in music be your guide. Like country music? Go for clogging or square dancing. Prefer classical? Try English country dancing. Do you long for Latin music? Consider tango. Social dancing will banish your boredom!
Adjust your fitness routine in the fall to take advantage of the weather. There are a lot of great exercises that you can do outside, including walking, hiking and riding a bike. Visit a park that you’ve never been to before or take your dog out on a run. Raking leaves can even help you burn calories! Finding creative ways to enjoy the weather will make exercising fun.
To make sure you get the best fitting footwear for your workouts, be sure to go shopping in the afternoon instead of the morning. As the day progresses, your feet actually become larger. If you shop in the morning, you may find yourself wearing some very uncomfortable workout shoes by the time you put them on for your evening session.
Working backwards can bring your focus on the gain, not the pain. By counting your reps down instead of up you can perform a bit of a mental trick on yourself. You will tend to focus on how many are left as opposed to how much you have done. As the number dwindles you are more motivated to finish.
A good way to help you get fit is to become a golf caddie. While it may be an unorthodox way of getting in shape, it definitely works because of the sheer amount of walking you have to do. You also have to carry equipment, which makes it tougher.
Even after you get comfortable and experienced with your fitness routine, you should limit intense weight training workouts to no more than an hour at a time. When your muscles are subjected to extreme stress, your body begins producing cortisol. This is a hormone that interferes with your body’s testosterone balance and reduces or eliminates the benefits of continued weight training.
When doing lat pulldowns, keep your thumb next to your index finger, rather than wrapping it around the bar. This will help to keep your arms less involved and therefore improve the workout that your back muscles receive. The same trick can be used with pullups as well.
Going out of town but don’t want to miss out on a workout? Here are a few ways you can workout while away from home. Pack the resistance bands. They don’t take up much space and provide a good workout. If you’re staying in a hotel, check and see if it has a gym. If they don’t, check with a local health club as some will sell day passes.
You can use simple things around your house to do exercises when you can’t go to the gym. Do push-ups against the wall. A chair can be used as a steadying point for doing leg lifts. Lift heavy objects like jugs of milk or canned goods.
Remember to start by setting achievable fitness goals. A common mistake many people make is to shoot for the stars too quickly. Don’t try to run two miles before running one. Don’t try an hour on the treadmill before you do a half hour. Start slowly and work your way up.
Before starting any exercise or fitness programs, it is a good idea to see your physician for a full physical. Your doctor can make sure that you are in good enough health to start a high intensity training program without being in any danger of hurting yourself. Your doctor will also take weight and blood pressure measurements so that, later on, you will be able to look back and see the improvements you have made.
As you can see, feeling fit is not as hard as you thought, now that you have the right tips to get started on your path to personal fitness. They will give you a good foundation that will get you closer to your personal fitness goals and feel great each and every day.