As any realist will know, there is no “quick fix” when it comes to getting fit and healthy. You have to stick at it, persevere and find a routine that works for you. Unfortunately you can’t lose weight just by stopping eating and running more – this will have a negative effect and have detrimental effects on your health – but there are a series of things you can do over a relatively short period of time to achieve some results.
There are all kinds of workouts available both in gyms, online and on DVDs that will help you to improve your fitness within the period of around six weeks. The exercises involved will focus on all areas of fitness from cardio to strength, and as the weeks go on and you start to feel better the intensity will increase so that you’re always “feeling the burn” when you reach the end of the workout.
All you’ll need is the basic equipment – trainers, gym wear, and of course, a bit of willpower! You could always get friends or family to work out with you in order to push yourselves that bit harder.
So what would a typical six-week fitness program consist of? Well, each one is different according to the person involved and the company or individual creating the plan – many gyms will create personalized ones to help you achieve your own specific goals, such as to lose half a stone, rather than generic six week programs for instance.
Here is just a taste of what’s involved, and you could always up the intensity and repetitions as the weeks progress and you start to see results:
Day 1 – weight training, two sessions of 15 minutes
Day 2 – cardio training and core stability, 20 minutes each
Day 3 – weight training, two sessions of 15 minutes
Day 4 – cardio training and core stability, 20 minutes each
Day 5 – circuit training using weights and/or cardio routines, 30 minutes
Day 6 – cardio training, 20 minutes
Day 7 – Rest day or light training of your own choice
You should then repeat this schedule each week, either upping the weight itself or the number of reps, or by doing more than two sessions.
By taking 15-minute breaks between sessions, you give your body the chance to recover from the workout, without allowing it to cool down too far that you pick up injuries when you restart. Alternatively, you could do one session in the morning and another in the afternoon, but ultimately it is how many sessions you do that will provide the benefits, not the duration.