Whether you have already embarked on a personal journey to fitness or you have just decided that getting fit is something you want to do, you can probably use some advice on the subject. A few quick fitness tips – like the ones below – can help jump-start the beginning of a great fitness routine or add variety to a well-established one.
When selecting a fitness routine, don’t fall for gimmicks that say you can lose weight or build muscle without needing to work hard. The whole point of a fitness program is to work hard. Pick a workout routine that fits with your schedule and is difficult enough to challenge you without resulting in injury.
To reduce your soreness following a workout, be sure to perform adequate cool down exercises. This cool down period allows your muscles to loosen up and relax after your workout is over and signals to your body that the workout is over. Failure to cool down properly after exercising can cause additional soreness and even cramping to occur.
To maintain your fitness level, you must be consistent. Rather than participating in extreme exercise and dieting occasionally, you should develop the habit of practicing a moderate exercise and diet plan daily, on an ongoing basis. When you get 15 minutes to half an hour of light to moderate exercise daily and eat a balanced, healthful diet, you will gain and maintain the best in fitness.
A great way to get fit, is to perform your cardio first thing in the morning, before breakfast. Performing cardio this way, taps right into your fat stores because you haven’t had anything to eat. This is one of the most effective ways to lose fat through cardio.
Investing into a set of free weights for your household can help you a lot. If you don’t have time to go to the gym then you can work at the start or end of your day. Free weights around the household can also give you more motivation to workout to your true potential because you don’t have a bunch of strangers staring at you.
Exercise releases wonderful hormones in your body called endorphins, so take the time and enjoy them. Give yourself a few minutes after a work out, just to relax and enjoy the feeling of the endorphins running through your body. This is a positive feedback for your body that will keep you coming back for more each day.
You should keep track of all of the calories you’re consuming on a daily basis. It’s one thing to work out to get into shape, but monitoring your diet also takes a toll in how fast you get fit. You have to work hard at getting into shape by exercising both your body and regulating your eating habits.
If you supplement your workouts with high protein drinks, try drinking them immediately after the point where you are unable to continue your reps. If you do not use supplements, you can also try this with a pint of whole milk. Many studies have indicated that this can lead to gains in muscle mass of up to five pounds over two months.
Looking to increase muscle mass? Use simple math: multiply the total weight of your current sets by the amount of times you lift each set. Your goal is to increase that total number as much as possible. This can be achieved by adding more weight, increasing the number of repetitions, or by adding on additional sets.
If you are having a hard time getting motivated to map out a comprehensive workout program, try starting with baby steps. Try to incorporate two or three brief (30 minutes) strength-training or aerobic workout sessions every week. While you may not see instant results, studies show that even minor positive changes in a sedentary lifestyle can have long-term gains in terms of overall health.
One general fitness tip that will help keep your energy level high and in balance is to make sure you “deload” (rest and don’t exercise as hard) for a few days after an intense training session. This will give your body time to recover and prepare for the next set of training demands that you will make on it.
Breathe heavily when you are doing crunches. Heavy breathing can help to elevate your workout to the next level, and create a more fierce workout. Push your breath out forcefully each time you sit up to add an extra punch to the muscle. Be careful not to breathe to quickly, though, or you may hyperventilate.
One thing most good fitness regimens have in common is personalization. You need a fitness routine that works for you, not a stringent course you must follow exactly. A flexible routine can easily incorporate the new fitness ideas you pick up, and new ideas can keep anyone’s fitness program from getting stale.
