Fitness Advice & Workout Tips

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Are you looking for ways to get in better shape? Do you need some advice on how to start working out? Whether you’re a beginner or have been exercising for years, these tips and tricks will help you become fit and healthy. Follow this advice, and before long you’ll see results!

Be Consistent

Many people who try to get in shape will start out great and then fall off the exercise wagon. If you make a commitment to exercising, you need to go through with it. In order for your efforts to see results, you must be consistent, giving your all each time you exercise until it becomes routine.

Don’t Lift Too Much Weight

In order to gain muscle you need to lift weights. It is possible to lift too much weight though, which can cause injury and setbacks in your training. Make sure that the amount of weight you are lifting isn’t too heavy for you by using a weight that is manageable and allows you to complete at least 8 reps without struggling.

Take Up Swimming

Swimming is a great way to stay in shape. Not only are you doing cardio, but because water is denser than air it provides resistance that makes your muscles work harder. Also, swimming engages many muscle groups at once making it easier for beginners to get started working out.

Make Sure You Get Adequate Protein

Your body needs protein in order to grow. Getting enough protein everyday will help you build muscle faster and make your workouts more effective. You should eat between one and 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day, or at least aim for that amount if you’re under 150 lbs., and eat two grams per pound if over 150 lbs.

Follow An Effective Exercise Routine

One of the most important things to do when you exercise is follow a routine that has been proven effective. It’s easy to go online and find different workout exercises, but without knowing how often and at what intensity you should train, it’s unlikely that you’ll see any results. By following an effective routine or hiring a personal trainer, you are much more likely to get the results you’re looking for.

Listen To Your Body

If something hurts while you’re working out, don’t ignore it! Instead, listen to your body and stop doing that activity. Otherwise you could end up injuring yourself which can cause a lot of pain and setbacks in your training. By listening to your body while exercising, you’ll be able to avoid injury and see results.

Work Out With a Friend

Working out is more fun when you have a friend to do it with you. You’ll hold each other accountable and can help motivate one another. Plus, if the two of you start working out together on a regular basis, after a while it will become a habit.

Make Sure To Rest

Just as with any other activity, you need to rest and allow your body to recover. While working out is important, it’s not beneficial if you don’t give your muscles the time they need to repair and rebuild themselves. If you try and exercise every day without giving yourself a break, you’ll likely see slower results.

Also Read: Can Yoga Transform Your Body?

Push Yourself

Remember to push yourself while you are exercising. If you are not feeling challenged enough, it’s probably because your body is becoming accustomed to the exercise which will make it less effective. You should ensure that each time you work out, even if it’s on the treadmill, you’re pushing yourself a little more than the time before.

Increase The Intensity

When you’re exercising, try to increase the intensity over time. This means that each time you exercise you should challenge yourself and work a little harder than before. By working out at an increased intensity, you’ll get greater results more quickly!

Set Realistic Goals

Setting realistic goals will help you stay motivated as well as ensure that your expectations are in line with what you can achieve. For example, if you only allow yourself to lose 1-2 lbs per week, it will be much more within reach than telling yourself that you’ll lose 10 lbs in two weeks.

Use The Buddy System

Find a workout partner or a group of people to work out with. Not only will you have fun exercising, but by having someone else there you’ll be more likely to stick with it and see it through to the end.

Cut Down on Alcohol Intake

While alcohol does not directly affect your muscles, drinking too much can cause your body to not process protein as efficiently. This means that even though you’re putting time and effort into working out, the alcohol in your system may prevent that hard work from paying off.

Drink Water

Drinking water is essential for any exercise routine. It will help you stay hydrated and ensures that your muscles can repair themselves more easily. Drinking plain water, instead of sugary energy drinks or soda, is much healthier for you.

Eat Healthy

By following a healthy diet that has an appropriate amount of protein in it, your workout efforts will be maximized. If you eat too much protein (two grams per pound of body weight) your body cannot use all of the protein and will excrete the excess. If you don’t eat enough protein, your muscles will not repair themselves effectively which can lead to slower results.

Make Your Plan Fit Your Life

You need to create a workout plan that fits into your busy schedule. If you can only work out on weekends, then make it the same days every week and treat the workouts as something that is non negotiable. This will help you commit and ensure that you don’t miss any workouts. Also, mix up your exercises so they are always new and challenging.

Find An Exercise You Enjoy

If you don’t enjoy doing a particular exercise, chances are you won’t continue with it for very long. It’s much better to find something that is fun or interesting to you so you’ll stick with it over time. Find exercises that allow you to be creative and do things like dancing (Zumba) or running around with your kids at the park.

Be Happy!

We all know that exercise is good for our bodies and minds. It can boost your mood and potentially help you fight off diseases like depression and anxiety. By exercising, research has shown that endorphins (the feel-good chemicals) are released in the brain which lead to increased happiness! Exercising does not need to be a chore, so find exercises you enjoy and reap the benefits of increased happiness on top of all the other health benefits.

Watch The Clock

Make sure that you set a timer to go off after 30 minutes in order to help you keep track of your workout. Not only does this help in focusing and staying on track, but by setting the timer it can make you feel like you’ve breezed through an hour-long workout in half the time!

Call In The Pros

Hiring a personal trainer for one or two sessions is an excellent way to learn proper techniques and ensure that you are doing exercises correctly. By having someone show you how to do the exercises in the beginning, your muscles will grow faster than if you were just doing them on your own.

Get Inspired

Check out the #30DayFitnessChallenge on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter to get a boost of inspiration from people all around the world joining together to workout for 30 days straight. If you have an account, post pictures of your progress and be motivated by others who are working just as hard as you!

Stick With Your Plan

Creating a workout plan that you’re able to stick with is essential. It shouldn’t be too easy, but it also shouldn’t be so difficult that you can’t possibly see yourself finishing it. Make sure to have built some wiggle room into the plan in case work or family commitments get in your way.

Be Patient!

The results from exercise don’t happen overnight. In order to see results, you need to be committed and patient. You won’t turn into a muscle-bound bodybuilder in 30 days, but if you stick with the plan, you will definitely see some changes!

Conclusion

Fitness is important to many people and utilizing the above tips can help you create a fitness plan that works for your body type, schedule and abilities. If you’re able to follow these tips, then you’ll be on the road to a fitter, healthier lifestyle in no time!