You want to exercise so you can lose fat and feel better, but you’re just not sure where to begin. You go to the gym and walk around wondering what to do with all of that equipment or it’s overwhelming so you just do what you’ve always done; the same treadmill routine and the same three sets of 20 abdominal crunches and you think “well at least I broke a sweat and that counts for something”? Perhaps you don’t have a gym membership and think you can’t do anything worthwhile at home, so you do…. nothing! Well, I’m here to tell you that exercise doesn’t have to be boring, it doesn’t have to be long, drawn out cardio sessions on the treadmill or stationary bike and you don’t have to go to the gym! However, you do have to follow a few rules to get the most out of your exercise session.
Here are 5 tips to get you on the right path so you can save time while you lose the fat and love your body and your life!
1. Always be safe. If you have underlying health concerns, always ask your doctor before becoming more physically active. Also, listen to your body and if something hurts more than you think it should then don’t be afraid to stop or modify an exercise.
2. You must do strength training. This means that you have to get your muscles stronger by doing more work than they are accustomed to and use some type of resistance. Gravity, inertia, friction, fluid resistance or elasticity can provide this resistance.
3.Think big muscle groups. Forget bicep curls and tricep kickbacks, unless you are bodybuilding these exercises are mostly time wasters. Do multi-joint exercises that build strength and muscles in your legs, back and chest. Lunges, squats and shoulder presses are examples of multi-joint exercises.
4. Go for overall time and use reps and sets as secondary measures. Do a short circuit of exercises for eight minutes. How many rounds can you complete? That is your measure of fitness. As you become more fit, you will be able to do more rounds in the same eight minutes. Here’s an example circuit: 1. 15 Squats 2. 10 Push-ups 3. 20 Bird Dogs.
5. Do your “cardio” afterwards. Hour long cardio for fat burning is just not as effective as short bursts of high intensity activity. It can be as simple as high knee jogging or jumping rope. As long as you are working very hard for at least 20 seconds then recover and go another 20 seconds at a very hard rate, you only have to do 15 minutes! Stop wasting hours being bored!
Follow these basic rules for fun, effective workouts that save you time while you burn fat so you can love your body and love your life!
In good health,
Marie
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