3. Enjoying Your Activities
There are many types of activities available
to you. Obviously whatever you choose, you should enjoy. But some
exercises offer greater benefits than others do.
Aerobic Conditioning
If you want to cut through the fat fast there is
nothing like a good aerobic workout. An aerobic or cardiovascular
activity uses oxygen to increase the blood circulation. This makes your
heart pump harder and become more efficient. In addition to trimming off
the fat, there are tremendous benefits from safely getting your heart
rate up. You can expect to feel better and improve your overall general
health. It can lower blood pressure, strengthen the lungs, lower
cholesterol, and help prevent heart disease and other medical illnesses.
The energy aerobics can give you is dynamic.
I have often said that if most people would give
it a try they would never want to quit. The high from a good aerobic
workout can help you manage stress better. For maximum benefits, do some
form of aerobics three times a week for a minimum of twenty to thirty
minutes, moving your large muscles at an even pace. Some aerobic
activities include jogging, fast walking, biking, dancing, skating, and
skiing. It is important to monitor your heart rate to keep your workout
both safe and effective.
Everyday Moderate Activities
Everyday moderate activities that are low in
intensity may not be considered aerobic but are still very beneficial.
Consider doing activities such as gardening, cleaning house, raking
leaves, mowing the grass, playing with children, and leisurely walking
to help you keep moving. Although these activities may not seem that you
are doing much, they are just as important as aerobic activities for
overall health and weight maintenance. Accumulation of these types of
activities adds up to more calories burned overall. Remember that you
need to accumulate at least thirty minutes of activity a day for
MyPyramid to work.
Strengthening Exercises
Exercises that include weight bearing or
resistance training should also be a part of your exercise routine.
Resistance training helps strengthen muscles and bones; improves overall
conditioning, endurance, and balance; and assists in preventing
injuries. Strength-training exercises should be incorporated into
regular exercise programs at least twice per week. You want to be sure
to work on all your major muscle groups in the upper body, lower body,
and core. The core includes the abs and your lower back.
Even walking is considered a form of resistance
training. If you don’t have weights you can use cans, water bottles, or
inexpensive stretchy tubing.
Flexibility Exercises
Exercises that improve
flexibility such as stretching, yoga, and Pilates are those that help to
move your joints in all areas of motion. You really need to stretch if
you want to prevent injuries. If you have any aches and pains in your
joints, stretching can help you to move your body more freely. Stretch
the muscles in your shoulders, knees, elbows, hips, and ankles. I even
stretch my toes. Stretching helps elongate the muscles and connective
tissues. Hold each stretch for at least twenty to thirty seconds. Do not
bounce but hold the stretch. Stretch whenever you can. I do in
front of the TV, in my car, right now as I’m writing, and at the gym.
Experts have conflicting opinions as to whether you should stretch
before or after strength training. I favor a five-minute cardio warm-up,
followed by my workout, and ending with a stretch.
4. Rest, Relax, Reduce
For optimum workout results you have to rest.
I don’t mean take a nap in the middle of your home workout. Wouldn’t
that be a nice treat? Follow these suggestions:
- Make sure you get your sleep so that the body functions at its best.
- Never work the same muscle group two days in a row with weights. For
example, if you worked the chest and back on Wednesday you would rest
those muscles on Thursday. On Thursday you could choose to work other
muscle groups such as the lower body. It is on the day of recovery that
the strengthening and firming really occurs.
- Be sure to rest in between sets of repetitions. If you do eight arm
curls, stop and rest for thirty seconds before you do the next set of
eight.
