As we have reached the midpoint of 2016, the time has come for some people to resolve their resolution of getting healthy or losing weight. While starting any exercising program, it is necessary that you pace yourself and avoid any kind of risk and injury by overexerting yourself especially if it has been a while since you have worked out.
Many people want to stay healthy and fit, but they lack the knowledge on how to do it. So, to prevent such lack of information, you can check out some of the tricks and tips that can assist you to get started on the journey of leading a healthy life.
• Start Slow
Try to make sure to avoid doing things fast. Don’t jump right in and begin working out five days a week. As per most of the fitness experts, this is the recipe for disaster. John Higgins, who is the MD and Director of Exercise Physiology of the Texas Health Science University, Houston feels that it is better if individuals gradually work up to exercise many days each week while checking out if the body responds in the required manner.
It is important to start small and go slow. Currently, most health experts feel that you need to exercise 2 to 3 days each week for at least 30 minutes each day. However, for a person who is just now starting out, it is better to start at 1 to 3 days each week and then ramp it up from there.
• Knowing To Stretch
You might think that stretching right before working out is a good thing. But it is not as you will be putting yourself at the risk of injury. Right after you warm up, you need to stretch your muscles and hold it for about 15 seconds. Health experts feel that by doing so, you are less likely going to injure yourself while stretching, especially if the muscles are already warmed up.
• Mixing Up The Exercises
Now whether you are going for bulking up or weight loss, a strength training and mixed regimen of aerobic are the best methods to get the body that you need. However, even with such categories, you should avoid sticking to the same exercise each day.
As per Dr. Higgs, it is important that you don’t go for running every day. Sometimes it might become annoying and will reach to a point where you will stop enjoying it anymore. You can try biking, elliptical or any kind of exercise that you enjoy the most. If you love to play tennis or basketball, then just do that, as you will more likely stick to the thing that you enjoy the most. Furthermore, you can switch between the four basic kinds of exercises which are resistance (strength), aerobic, flexibility, training and balance, and more. All these are quite significant for the seniors.
• Know The Weight And The Best Way Of Using It
Many people get confused when they walk into a gym for the first time. The interesting aspect is that they are afraid of asking for advice. If you are one of them, then time has come to get over it. Keep in mind that if you don’t know, then you need to ask.
As per law, it is important for gyms to have people who can assist and show on how to work out on the machine and even saves you from getting severely injured. Also, many newbies select the heaviest weight which is a rookie mistake. As soon as you reach the weight machine, you must start using the lowest weight and slowly keep adding from there.
You must keep increasing the weight until you achieve a point where you can easily lift all the weights. Now once you have the weight with which you are comfortable with, don’t become too eager just to increase it.
• Taking A Break
When people start out, they become overzealous and go to the gym every day. Now that is good but by not allowing your body to rest, you are doing a lot of harm rather than good. You need to give time for your body to heal and repair by itself. Otherwise, your performance will go down, and you will get stuck in a vicious cycle from where you won’t recover fully.
Wrapping Up
It is normal to have soreness and pain after exercising, and this does not mean that you resort to taking painkillers. Using painkillers will mask the pain and cause a whole lot of damage to your body. You need to allow the body to recover naturally. As you are hitting out the gym for the first time, you can have many doubts and fear.
Just remember to ask the gym instructor or any person who is already the member. Never feel shy about asking questions and knowing about the exercises which you need to do.
