When we are young, fitness comes easily. We play sports or are active in our daily life. But sometime during middle age, our fitness tends to decline. And in our retirement years we may begin to really pay a price for letting our fitness wane. This doesn’t have to happen. Here are some tips that will help to make your story a happy one of continued fitness throughout life.
Listen to fast-paced music when doing anything physical. Studies have shown that music with a quick pace will help to increase your heart rate, therefore helping you burn more calories. It may also put you in a more energetic mood, helping you keep moving longer. Don’t be afraid to “bump some jams” while you vacuum!
Space out your workouts. You don’t have to exercise all at once, if it’s difficult for you. If you break up your workouts into four 15 minute chunks, at the end of the day, you’ve got an hour in. Sometimes, that works better for people who can’t sit still for an hour and exercise.
For your first day of working out, start slowly. Make sure you start with lower weights and gradually work your way up to bigger weights. If you don’t do this, then the next morning you will be extremely sore and you can possibly damage part of your muscles or tissue.
Always dress comfortably when doing your fitness regimen. If you are heading out to the gym, you may feel pressure to dress a certain way, but you need to put comfort first. Don clothes which allow you freedom of movement, but don’t make you feel self-conscious. The proper workout clothes will make exercising more comfortable and enjoyable.
If you are a runner, even the way you hold your head can affect the quality of your workout. For example, most people tend to hunch forward when running uphill. By keeping your head up and focusing your vision at the top of the hill, however, you are allowing your airways to open more fully, making breathing much easier.
If you live near a city, there will be many different events and runs that you can participate in, such as a 5k. Sign up for the next big run in your area and commit yourself to training for it over the next couple of months. This will help increase your motivation and fat burning potential.
If you want to work on toning up and gaining muscle strength, remember two key things: rest your muscles and don’t overdo it. All weight workouts should be kept fairly short because after an extended period of time your body begins to create a stress response. It is also important to take time off between muscle workouts in order to allow your muscles to rest and recharge.
We hope these tips on fitness have given you a lot of good ideas. Applied well, this knowledge can help you avoid debilitating conditions later in life or to minimize the conditions that cannot be wholly avoided. Fitness is like holding a rope taut, not letting it go slack. Keeping fit throughout life is its own reward.