Whether you are beginning a fitness regime or been hitting the squat racks before Schwarzenneger made it look cool, these Top 20 Fitness Tips should be on top of your list!
1. Many people who join a gym give up after several months for lack of motivation or because they overdo it and end up injuring muscles. Go about it properly and enlist the help of a personal trainer, if even for a few sessions, to get you on the right track.
2. Improve your fitness and lose weight in a shorter time with interval training. Set the treadmill or step machine on the interval programme, where your speed and workload varies from minute to minute. Build up gradually and return to the starting speed. Repeat this routine.
3. When stretching, ease your body into position until you feel the stretch and hold it for about 25 seconds. Breathe deeply to help your body move oxygen-rich blood to those muscles. Avoid bouncing or forcing yourself into an uncomfortable position.
4. Aerobic exercise, or cardiovascular exercise, strengthens our hearts, lungs, blood vessels and brain function. It primarily increases our body's ability to take in more oxygen and transport this oxygen yo all cells and organs of our body.
5. Take an exercise break when you're sick. Exercise temporarily stresses your body and immune system, which may prolong your illness. It may be OK to work out when sick (depending on the severity) but a day or two of rest is usually just what the doctor ordered.
6. You may not have the urge to get moving today because you're too tired or burnt-out. If you you're feeling run-down, vary your exercise routine. Nothing brings on burn-out faster than doing the same old thing every day.
7. Make your goals specific, realistic and forgiving. Though "exercising" is a great objective, "walking 30 minutes a day 5 days a week" is more specific. Be forgiving
if you don't reach your objective and keep on moving!
8. Whether it's a brisk walk or weight training, regular exercise can reduce anxiety, boost your mood, and generally improve and maintain good health. Exercise builds self-esteem and releases endorphins that trigger positive feelings.
9. Warm down by stretching or jogging for 5-10 minutes after exercise. This will aid in the dissipation of lactic acid, muscle strain, dizziness, and reduce the level of adrenaline in the blood.
10. Dehydration is one of the most common reasons for fatigue during exercise and a common reason for general fatigue. Drink 2+ cups an hour prior to exercise. Drink 1/2 cup every 15 minutes during exercise.
11. Aerobic exercise may improve optic nerve health because of increased blood flow, which could help reduce risks of vision damage due to diseases such as glaucoma.
12. As a general rule of thumb, aerobic power can decline 5% in one week, 15% in two weeks, and up to 25% in 3 weeks. All your gains could be gone after about 2 months of inactivity.
13. Brittle bones are often a sign of aging, especially among women. Lifting weights and strength-training helps you gain strength, balance and bone density. This is especially important for women over the age of 45.
14. Athletes who workout regularly have resting heart rates between 40-60 beats per minute while an inactive person can be as high as 70-80 beats per minute. The more active you get, the more efficient your body gets.
15. Weight training burns calories, prevents loss of lean body mass from dieting/aging, strengthens bones and connective tissue along with muscles and helps keep you strong and active as you get older.
16. Aerobic exercise, such as running, swimming, and cycling, increases your need for oxygen and requires your heart and lungs to work harder. Anaerobic exercise, such as weightlifting or sprints, has a lower impact on your cardiovascular system and usually lasts for shorter periods of time.
17. It takes time and consistency to build up fitness and performance, so avoid falling into the more is always better mindset. You’ll only end up injured, or frustrated.
18. Vary your workouts, pace, and intensity to enjoy a well-rounded fitness routine that is less likely to result in burn-out or plateaus. Alternate training intensity and time from day to day.
19. Avoid falling victim to the weekend warrior syndrome of working out long and hard on weekends and doing nothing during the week. Injuries are more common for those who are inconsistent with exercise.
20. Aerobic exercise can increase immune function by raising the body's core temperature. This mimics a fever, killing invading bugs and increasing immune cells and response. Let's get physical!
