Exercise | Life Health Fitness

How to Overcome Common Barriers to Exercise

Exercise Obstacles: How to Persevere and Stay Motivated

Most people are aware of the many benefits of exercise. Even a brisk walk can help restore your mental and physical health. Getting into a routine, however, can be difficult. Some people are fortunate to be naturally motivated, have money for a gym, or have supportive friends.

The demands of work and family can often get in the way of an exercise routine. Mental state is also an important part of working out. Rigorous movement often helps to bring a more peaceful mental state and helps you focus better, however. Motivation is key when it comes to daily self-care through exercise. Overcome these common exercise obstacles that prevent exercising.

Tired

It is ironic that exercise solves many of the problems that cause you to avoid it. Exercise increases your energy level by increasing the amount of oxygen that enters the brain by initiating better blood flow. Lung capacity also improves the more you exercise. If you feel too tired for a full workout, take a walk with your dog, dance around your house, or ride your bike to run an errand. Once you get moving little, you may feel better about doing more.

Depressed

Depression is another symptom that can improve with regular exercise. This disorder, however, can be severe and cause people to remain inactive. Make a small checklist for your day and include exercise. Sometimes a list simply keeps you grounded, giving you something tangible to refer to when you feel a bit lost in your own mind. Enlist a friend to help get you out of bed or to meet you for morning walks.

A little something to look forward to can go a long way, as well. Treat yourself to a special coffee or television show after the workout. You can also combine your workout with something else that you must do each day. This way you do not have to get motivated to go out multiple times. For example, park far away from the grocery store to get a walk or use a gym near work on your lunch break. If you are unable to leave your house you can do housework, walk up and down stairs, or follow a workout video.

After Work

Many people wake up with the intention of having a productive day. Even the best plans to exercise, however, can be overlooked after a stressful day of work. Accountability partners are a great help. If you know someone is waiting for you to take a run or workout together at the gym, you feel more obligated to show up. Bike to work or carpool with an accountability buddy so you must get some exercise before going home.

Getting up Early

It is often easier to get your exercise done before the late day exhaustion hits. If you are not a morning person, however, you may be more interested hitting the snooze button. If you despise rising early, try a morning workout only one or two days a week. Once you exercise more, you may naturally begin to wake up with more energy. Start with short routines while you adjust to the new schedule. Remember that your morning mood starts the night before. There is no substitute for a good night of rest.

Alone

You may be envious of those people that run together every morning or talk for hours at the gym. There are, however, some perks to working out alone. There is no better reason to put in your ear buds and enjoy your personal space with your favorite tunes. With fewer distractions, you can finish quickly, for one.

You can also go at your own pace instead of pushing too hard to keep up with others. You can often find some fun workout companions at home, as well. Grab your kids for active games in the living room or a trip to the pool. The family dog may also appreciate a little run around the neighborhood.

Overweight

One main goal of exercising is to lose weight. It is much harder to move, however, when you are out of shape. If you are new to exercise, visit your doctor to check your health status first. You can also get some suggestions for nutrition and avoiding injury. Look ahead to the exciting day when exercise becomes easier. Set small goals and celebrate the victories on your journey, as well. Everyone has different abilities. Be proud of what your body can do as you learn new exercises and gain strength.

Self-conscious

It is common to be self-conscious about how you look in workout clothes or while participating in a class. Purchase some workout gear with your favorite colors or fun patterns. Comfortable clothes are a must-have, however. If you feel bad, your confidence can plummet. Instead of hiding in the back of exercise classes, sign up for beginner classes so everyone is learning together.

Pain

Did you injure yourself or have chronic pain related to a disease? Your doctor can help you manage the pain with the proper medication. If did injure yourself you should give yourself time to heal. You do not aggravate the condition. This will only lengthen the healing time. If take pain medications, take around the time you plan to exercise. Pills take about 30 minutes to start to work , therefore adjust your workout time to sync your `. You can also take regular breaks when you are exercising. Your doctor may also prescribe physical therapy to help you get stronger and heal better.

If you are simply having muscle soreness from your workouts, be sure to prepare properly each day. Stretch well, eat foods that replenish your body, and get plenty of rest. Your body heals best when you take good care of yourself. You can also designate days that you work on different parts of your body.

Busy Lifestyle

Being busy is the most common excuse for not working out. It is surprising, however, how easy it is to fit in a little exercise. You can replace a coffee date with friends for an outing at the park, for example. Instead of watching your kids play outside, run around with them. Even house chores, such as mopping, can get your heart rate up. Put on some wireless earbuds and clean to the beat.

No Funds for the Gym

Many businesses make large profits off those that want to get fit. Gyms are great because they have all the equipment in one place, tons of classes, and trainers for hire. You do not need to join a gym, however, to get healthy and fit. You can save up and get a few things for home, such as hand weights, a yoga mat, and an exercise ball. Subscribe to a YouTube channel that offers exercise videos and meal plans for help with motivation. Many outdoor parks have running trails and exercise equipment for public use, as well.

It can be challenging to get motivated to work out. Even though exercise gives you more energy, new routines are hard to establish. You may not feel well, dislike early mornings, or have a busy work schedule. Take small steps and reward yourself for meeting goals. It is also important to be realistic about fitting exercise into your day. Every little bit of movement helps. Walk, bike, or dance on days when you can’t fit in a full workout. With a little perseverance, you can stay motivated to get healthy.

Four Ways Your Workout Routine Can Stress You Out

Everyone has been told time and time again that engaging in exercise regularly is good news for their physical and mental health. This is usually true, and the importance of exercise to people’s well-being cannot be emphasized enough. Your body adapts to regular workouts when they are done correctly, resulting in physical changes that help to decrease your likelihood of developing a range of health conditions, such as diabetes and coronary heart disease. In addition, regular exercisers tend to have a reduced likelihood of experiencing mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety.

Despite the benefits of exercising, your workout routine can have negative consequences. Much of the time, these negative effects stem from a lack of knowledge. Stress is one negative outcome that can arise from your workout routine. It may also be one of the least acknowledged negative outcomes since physical activity is renowned for reducing stress. Here are four ways your workout routine can stress you out and what you can do about it.

Relying Too Much on High-Intensity Training

If you believe that more is always better when it comes to physical activity, you may also believe that high-intensity training should be your number one fitness priority. High-intensity workouts are known to be great calorie burners and, therefore, great for weight loss or preventing weight gain. However, high-intensity workouts can have negative consequences. Since high-intensity training is demanding on the body, it can have negative and potentially serious consequences if you engage in it excessively or when you are stressed, as well as if you have certain health conditions.

One negative effect of relying too much on high-intensity training is that it can heighten stress. Exercise itself puts physical stress on the body, thereby triggering cortisol release. Cortisol is a hormone that is linked to stress, as well as fat retention. If you engage in high-intensity training too frequently throughout the week or on days where you are already feeling stressed, it can cause you to feel more anxious and impede on your fitness goal of keeping fat at bay.

You can avoid feeling anxious from high-intensity training by only engaging in it a few times a week and by avoiding it when you feel highly stressed. You may opt to replace high-intensity training occasionally with exercises that are gentler on the body, such as yoga and walking. If you are feeling particularly stressed, you could add a stress management technique to your gentler workout (e.g. incorporate mindfulness into walking). Alternatively, it could be that you simply need time off working out to relax and rest. If this is the case, give your body what it needs so that you can return to your training recharged and ready to go.

Only 2 – 3 day per week of HIIT workout is necessary. These workouts should be a few days apart.

Your Workout Routine is Too Rigid

Sometimes workout routines must be highly rigid. This is typically the case if you are training for a specific event, such as a marathon or weight lifting competition. Alternatively, you may need to maintain a certain level of fitness for recreational activities, such as scuba diving. In other cases, having a workout routine that is highly rigid can cause unnecessary stress.

When a workout routine is too rigid, it can cause you stress by making you feel pressured to fit your workout into a busy schedule. You may experience this type of workout-related stress if your life has recently become more hectic or if you have biased ideas about what qualifies as exercise. If left unchecked, the pressure experienced from trying to fit a workout into your busy day can, over time, make exercise feel like a chore. This may spell disaster when trying to maintain a workout routine since the enjoyment derived from exercise is an important long-term motivator.

If you are struggling to fit your workout routine around a busy lifestyle, try replacing one or two of your weekly structured exercise sessions with physical activities that are easily incorporated into your daily routine and invest in an activity monitor. Small daily changes, such as putting 30 minutes aside daily for walking, could amount to the same number of calories burnt during a one-hour gym session over the course of a week.

Worrying About Being Judged

If you are new to working out, you might get stressed out by the idea of being judged whilst exercising. Your two main concerns are likely to be that people will judge you based on how you look or how you perform. You may find these thoughts mildly discomforting or highly off-putting. They might even discourage you from engaging in exercise altogether.

If you worry about being judged while working out, there are several things you can do to alleviate the discomfort. First, you could take a friend along to your workouts for emotional support. Second, you might decide to change your workout time so that there are fewer people around. Third, you could try exercises that are more solitary. If you opt for the second or third option, be sensible and ensure that you are in a safe environment. Last, you can work out at home.

Comparing Yourself To Others

That stress in your head. Social media is filled with also sorts of fit chics. In fact, you might follow some of them and buy their workout products and programs hoping to look like them. The sad part is you start the program and use the recommended products but do not get the results you were hoping for. Why don’t you have the 6 pack abs or hour glass figure with sculpted and tone legs like they do? One reason can be is because some of the pictures are retouched to perfection. Another reason can be because your body composition might be different due to your genetics. Furthermore, you are not giving the program long enough time to work because you want a quick fix. Most body transformation takes a minimum of 6 months. This varies from person to person because we all have different starting points.

While it is good to visualize your perfect beach body and stick a picture of Janet Jackson with her 6 pack abs on your vision board, you have to get real about the state of your current body. If you start out with just 10-20lbs to lose, then you might achieve that 6 pack abs quicker than someone who has 50lbs to lose. Don’t be stressed that you are not getting the results you want especially if you just started. You have to give it time.

Conclusion

Exercising is known to be highly beneficial to well-being. Nevertheless, stress is one negative outcome that can arise from your workout routine. Your workout routine can cause you stress if you rely too much on high-intensity training, have a workout routine that is too rigid, or if you worry about being judged. You can avoid being stressed out by your workout routine by making changes to it, starting with those listed above.

Exercise places strain on the body and, consequently, poses a risk. You should get medical advice before participating in or altering an exercise routine. You should also ensure that the environment you exercise in is safe.

Dance Your Way To Good Health: Best Workout Music

Please Don’t Stop the Music

There are plenty of ways to lose weight. However, in order to do achieve this goal some form of physical activity is necessary. But it doesn’t have to be a drag, boring or painful. It can be fun and exciting. Some people do workout videos, some do yoga and some spend countless hours at the gym. While these can all be very effective methods; it solely depends on the individual and what they can tolerate doing consistently for a long period of time. You have to be in it to win it. The people that end up with the best results are the ones who find joy in their chosen form of exercise.

One method of exercising that is not often discussed is by song and dance. Studies show that dance workouts like Zumba are effective because they are fun and do not feel like exercise (Krishnan, et al. 2015). You can sing along and dance and burn some calories all at the same time via music. Add house cleaning to the mix and that fat has zero chance of winning its war against you.

When most people think about dancing they think of it as more of an event or something that you go out to do. It is not closely associated with losing weight. However, that is simply not the case. Dancing keeps you constantly moving and constantly burning calories. With good music you can go on and on and on til the break of dawn or sunrise is some cases. Most wouldn’t even notice because you are having fun in the process. Just think about it; when was the last time you’ve seen a depressed two-step. Depending on your music preference, there are plenty of different choices to choose from. You don’t need a choreographed routine. All you have to do is find the rhythm and keep up with it. It’s best to find a fast rhythm but a slow rhythm can be just as good.

Although I like a clean house I would rather someone else clean it. But I must say once I put some music on I can clean the entire house from top to bottom without even noticing the lapse in time. What is your preferred music when cleaning or washing the car? Also, do not forget that cleaning the house counts towards your physical activity.

Music is a universal language and almost everyone enjoys music. Even if you can’t dance and have no rhythm you can enjoy listening to music during your physical activities. Furthermore, you can enjoy the music without even understanding or speaking the language. Yeah you might sound crazy singing a song in Spanish if you can’t speak but who cares. Step out of your comfort zone and try adding some of the below to your playlist.

Salsa:Cuba

Salsa may be delicious for dipping chips, but if you want to dip into some of that chip weight it can be just as satisfying. It is a very fast paced genre of music. The congas will make you want to move and the maracas will make you want to shake. Plus who doesn’t need a little more cowbell. There are plenty of salsa workout videos on the Internet that will teach you the basics. If you want to burn a ton of calories and learn some sexy dance moves along the way then salsa is perfect for you. You can start moving your hips to tunes by Celia Cruz.

Reggae:Jamaica

There are several different kinds of reggae music; from dancehall to spiritual. However, the best kind for burning calories would definitely have to be dancehall music. Check out music by Sean Paul. Dancehall music is all about dropping it low and dropping calories in the process. It is a very fast paced genre with multiple different dance moves that have been developed overtime. It can get so intense that even the artist themselves often have a sweat towel in their music videos. Not only is it entertaining to watch, but it can help you lose some serious weight.

Reggae-ton: Puerto Rico

Reggae-ton is very similar to dancehall music as far as the high paced rhythm involved in the genre. It is a combination of hip-hop, Latin and Caribbean music. This is what makes it another perfect genre to workout to. It has a very quick tempo and requires high energy. This is great because high energy produces high results. You will break a sweat in no time. Check out some tunes by Daddy Yankee.

Pop:United States

Pop music is popular music. Michael Jackson is the king of pop. But their are plenty others like Beyoncé and Madonna to name a few. What’s not to like about Pop music. The selection of pop music choice is endless. The best thing about pop music is unlike salsa, there is no proper way to dance to pop music. Therefore, it is open to any interpretation. You can decide how you want to dance to this genre, or maybe the high energy of the music will motivate you to keep going while you are on that run. The tempo varies but I am sure you will find something you like.

Rap or Hip Hop:United States

You may not like Rap or Hip Hop for whatever reason but it made this list because it undeniable a good genre of music to flow to. It is a vast genre with a variety of different sounds and tempos. Did you know there are several kind of rap such as gansta rap, east coast rap and west coast. They come with different ways of expressing themselves through music. However, once you find the right playlist you can run the town. The bass and the drums is what you want to look for when picking what to workout to. There are also several dance moves associated with the genre that if executed the right way will have you burning calories in no time. Check out music by Jayz and 50cents.

Praise Gospel:United States

This genre may seem like the most unorthodox on this list, but it can actually be quite beneficial in losing weight. The tempo isn’t quite as upbeat as pop or salsa, but you still make this work for you with the right moves. The passion expressed in gospel music is inspiring and that inspires a great workout. It’s a great way to start your day off with positive vibes and if you are religious you kill two birds with one stone. After praising the lord you will eventually praise the results you see in your body. Start praising with tunes by Kirk Franklin and Yolanda Adams.

Traditional African Music

In Africa, singing and dancing are inseparable from each other. Rhythm and melody are two major aspects of African music. The tempo is quick, with a lot of drums to get your blood flowing. Get in the groove and become synchronized with the drums. Just continue to move to the rhythm and you are sure to get a good workout.

Soca or Calypso: Trinidad

Have you ever listened to Soca or Calpyso? If you haven’t then you should listen to music by Mighty Sparrow or Machel Mantona to get a feel of the waste whining rhythms. This genre of music is a combination of Latin, Caribbean, Indian and African rhythms. Although it will give you a better workout, it is not necessary to know how to move your waste line to get a good workout from this type of music. Try it out and see if you like it.

The key to losing weight and staying active is to find activities that you enjoy. Incorporating dance can be the perfect solution. Explore music from the different genres and creat a playlist of about 6 songs.

There is no wrong way to exercise. As long as you are staying safe and getting the results that you desire you can do what you enjoy in the comfort of you own home.

Work Cited

Krishnan, Sridevi, et al. “Zumba® dance improves health in overweight/obese or type 2 diabetic women.” American Journal of Health Behavior 39.1 (2015): 109-120. 30 5 2019. <https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25290603>.

Cardio Versus Strength

Cardio or strength? It depends on your goals. The answer is as individual as the road to your desired results. Here, we’re going to take a look at a variety of goals and examine some of the best practices to achieve your individual fitness goals.

Depending on what it is that you hope to achieve, you are going to want to adjust your workout accordingly. The first thing you need to decide is what kind of body you want. Would you like to simply lose weight or would you like to add some tone and definition? You do not have to exercise to lose weight. Diet play a bigger role than exercise and infact you might start to gain weight when you start to strength train. Therefore, if you only want to see the numbers go down on the scale then you do not have to exercise.

On the other hand exercise will can give you a certain kind of physique that dieting alone cannot. The right exericse can help you develop muscles and curves in the right place. To what degree do you want to develop your muscles? Would you like to have tone, tight, compact muscles or would you prefer to have a more bulk physique?

Aside from your physical appearance, it’s also important to consider what your physical goals are. Are you interested in a career or hobby that will require heavy lifting or a specific type of strength? Are you interested in pursuing something along the lines of gymnastics or another type of physically demanding sport in which strength and muscle control is vital? It could be that you simply would like to be able to run or jog sometimes and keep up or be able to maintain a lively dancing pace during a night out on the town.

Exercising to increase your cardiovascular health is quite a bit different than weightlifting and engaging in other strength building exercises. You don’t necessarily need to add any strength training to a cardiovascular workout, but a cardio workout should definitely be included in a strength building regimen. Let’s go ahead and take this opportunity to discuss the fact that if you have been leading a sedentary lifestyle or you are planning on increasing your activity level to something beyond which your body is accustomed to, it’s important to have a conversation with your doctor before engaging in any exercises that could increase your heart rate. For some, this could be potentially fatal, so it’s important to know your limits and have a thorough conversation with your doctor about the most ideal way for you to implement exercise into your life and alter your lifestyle to achieve your beach body goals.

Although cardio workouts and strength building workouts are different, they can easily coexist. The degree to which you want to sculpt your body will dictate the degree to which you should include either or both. The varying levels of each workout will be discussed as we examine the best cardio exercises and effective strength building workouts.

Cardio

High impact aerobics, jogging, dancing, running, and even speed walking are all great cardio workouts that don’t involve a lot of strength training. Depending on your age, height, weight, and physical condition, you will burn anywhere between 180 and 410 calories during a half-hour workout, so if your goal is weight loss, take some time and figure out about how many calories your workout is burning so you can adjust your time and diet appropriately. Remember: Weight loss is about burning more calories than your eating, and you want to be burning at least around 400 to 500 more calories than you are consuming.

If your goal is to combine cardio and low-level strength training, burpees are an excellent addition to a workout. There are multiple variations of a burpee, and we will outline the basic format. You can either choose to squat once, stand back up, crouch down to put your hands on the floor near your feet, launch into a pushup position, do at least one pushup, come back to your feet, stand up, and repeat the entire sequence. You don’t necessarily need to squat, but you can take an extra step to extend your arms up as you take a breath and exhale. This helps to open the airways and help the heart beat at optimal levels.

To focus more on strength, you can either add wrist weights (for light training) or hold on to dumbbell weights as you complete each sequence. Once you get going for at least a few minutes, an average amount of calories burned per burpee is about 10 (again, though, depending on a variety of factors). You can choose whether you want to start with a number or a length of time. Take time to do a few before you commit to something outrageous. It’s important to remember that exercising can be overwhelming. Burnout happens way too quickly for some, because they make too large of a commitment. Five minutes to start something is better than doing nothing. One hour of too much exercise that will only result in physical pain and self-defeating thoughts doesn’t generally last. Five minutes will turn into ten minutes, and so on if there is consistency.

Strength Training

This is the part where you think about how toned or how bulk you want to be. How much weight to do you want to be able to lift? What are your physical goals? One of the best things to remember is that slow reps with a lot of weight will help you get big muscles. Lower weight with quicker reps will build tight muscles, but it will also result in more toning and cardiovascular exercise (including weight loss). If you plan on going to a gym, there will be a variety of workout equipment with instructions on how to use the equipment along with a diagram of the muscle groups each machine targets. You can also look up a variety of strength building exercises online if you are using your own weights or equipment. Instead of sharing multiple individual strength training workouts, let’s just cover some important information about making sure that your heart stays healthy enough for your increasing level of strength training.

Lifting heavy weights is very physically demanding, and it requires a good physical condition. If you are involved in a strength enhancing or muscle building workout regimen, at least about 25% of your workout should be focused on cardiovascular exercises. A good diet packed with lots of protein will also boost your muscle building efforts. You want to consume things like eggs, cottage cheese, lean meats, poultry, nuts, chickpeas, protein shakes, etc. Remember to give muscle groups time to heal – especially if you are maxing out in your workouts.

Maxing out is simply lifting until you absolutely cannot lift anymore. It’s always important to have a spotter when handling heavy weights. It’s especially important to have a competent spotter if you are planning on maxing out during your weightlifting sessions.

Remember to try to include core strength exercises in both your cardiovascular workouts and your muscle building exercises. Core strength is more than just having a great set of abs. A strong core results in less back pain, more longevity, and overall better cardiovascular health. You can have the body you crave. Never forget that there is an abundance of support right at your fingertips to help you achieve your body sculpting goals.

How to Stick with Your Plan to Get Fit

While it’s commendable that you fully intend to stay with your fitness plan and get in shape, following through with such a plan can be a different matter altogether. It’s easy to quit an exercise plan and to rationalize to yourself that it makes sense to do so. Here are tips that help you stick to the fitness plan that you create, and get to where you need to go.

Begin With The End In Mind

Often, fitness resolutions fail simply because people neglect to couple them with a clear plan. While it can be great to head in with lots of enthusiasm, vague or nonexistent goals often result in aimless exercise routines and a lack of results.

It’s important that you set out with a well-defined target. It could be the ability to run a half-marathon or dropping a few dress sizes. When you have a clear goal in mind, it can motivate you, and help you focus your mind on achieving it.

Set Real Goals

When you try to set goals for yourself, it’s important that you find ones that are achievable for your level of physical fitness. Being overly ambitious setting your targets can backfire. If you’ve never run over a mile, aiming to run even a half-marathon can be an overreach. You may burn out, lose motivation, or injure yourself.

Aim to run a mile at first, and a 5k next. It’s important to understand that the capacity for physical exertion builds gradually.

Create a Workout Schedule

To make sure that you stick to your fitness plan, you need to ensure that your workouts each day are non-negotiable. Carefully plan out a couple of hours each day when you can manage it, and make sure that you put it in your calendar. You need to schedule time in your calendar to make sure that you find the time each day, and aren’t distracted by other responsibilities.

Write it Down

Start an exercise diary, and put in how much exercise you get each day. As you fill up those pages, you’ll come by a feeling of accomplishment. When there are pages that are empty because you had to skip a workout, it’ll fill you with regret, and resolve not to let it happen again. A journal is a great way to hold yourself accountable.

Join a Group

Joining a running group or another fitness group can be a great way to stay committed to your plan. If going to the gym is your plan, sign up for some exercise classes, or buy time with a personal trainer. When you involve other people in your plan, you’re less likely to give up.

Mix it Up

As important as it is to create a routine, you should remember that routines aren’t the same thing as monotonous repetition. You’re less likely to stick with a plan if you’re bored with it. Mix up your exercise routine to make sure that it stays fresh. Plan a long swim or some cycling a couple of times a week in place of your regular run, for example.

Plan For All The Excuses You Will Likely Make

You are often likely to be tempted to skip a workout. Your mind may come up with all kinds of excuses for why you should take the day off. You may tell yourself that your muscles are sore, or that you deserve a day off for the hard work you’ve put in.

Finding ways to win the mental battle against the desire to slack off can sometimes be harder than the exercise that you need to put in. To help overcome the temptation to give in to the excuses that your mind comes up with, write down all the reasons that you’re likely to think of, and find reasons why your fitness goals are even more important to you.

Reward Yourself

As much of a struggle as it can be to get yourself to get exercise, sometimes, you can get so involved in your workouts that you forget to feel good about how far you’ve come. You must always remember to pat yourself on the back or to give yourself a day off every once in a while, as a reward. Rewarding yourself can help you stay with your plan.

Listen to Your Body

You are likely to be forced to quit even if you don’t want to if you come down with an injury. While you should overlook minor aches and pains as you work out each day, you should recognize when you’re injured and give yourself the rest that you need. It’s important not to make an injury worse than it is by continuing to put pressure on it. If you make an injury worse than it has to be, you may be forced to give up exercise.

Invest in Good Training Gear

You’re not going to be able to train for a 10k in tennis shoes, and you won’t be able to swim well if you don’t protect your eyes with a good pair of goggles. Going in without the right gear will only make exercise more uncomfortable than it has to be, and make it easier for you to quit. While you don’t have to splurge on high-end equipment, you should get quality stuff to help make sure that your time working out is as comfortable as it can be.

Sticking to an exercise plan can be hard work. When you understand how your mind works, however, you can help yourself stay with your plan over the long haul.

Fitness over Fifty: Healthy Exercise Tips To Get You Started

When is it Too Late in Life to Exercise?

It’s never too late to take exercise. While in later life your exercise regime won’t be the same as for younger people, it’s still important for your health. Even if you’ve never exercised before you can enjoy regular workouts. Keeping fit and healthy prolongs life, supports independent living, and improves mood.

The Positive Power of Exercise in Later Life

Whatever exercise you adopt, it will help you in several ways. Living an active life can help you off-set many of the problems of aging. It will help you keep strong and flexible, support a healthy weight, avoid disease, and keep cheerful.

Maintain Muscle Mass

As people age, they lose muscle mass. Regular workouts help counteract this effect, rebuilding muscle tissue. Resistance training combined with stretching will keep you strong and flexible as you age.

Burn Fat and Boost Metabolism

As you get older, your metabolism slows down and you may put on weight. Regular cardiovascular exercise helps burn excess fat and keeps you trim. If you do resistance training too, the added muscle will also burn more calories and help you keep a healthy weight.

Fight Disease

Scientific research shows that you can reduce or avoid the risk of many of the diseases associated with aging by living an active life. Heart disease and high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, and even Alzheimer’s disease are all less likely if you exercise. Working out boost metabolism and keeps your immune system in good shape.

Exercise and Mental Health

If you exercise you are more likely to feel positive about yourself. One risk as you age is the possibility of social isolation and depression. Exercise can also get you out and about with other people.

What Exercise To Do?

Whatever your age when you start exercise, your needs will be different to those of someone else. Before starting any new exercise regime, it’s a good idea to see your doctor for check-up and get clearance. A session with a training or fitness advisor can be a helpful start. If you haven’t exercised for a while, you should always start with something easy and build up to harder activities as you improve your fitness. To reach optimum health, besides eating a healthy, balanced diet, you should include the following in your regime:

Cardiovascular Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise is any activity which increases your heart rate and warms you up. Fast walking, gentle jogging, skipping rope, swimming, and gymnastics are examples of cardiovascular exercise. “Cardio” improves heart health, burns calories, and oxygenates your brain. Plug your earphones in or turn on the stereo and dance to your favorite music. Get lost in the music and just dance.

Resistance Training

Resistance training involves lifting weights or doing body-weight exercises. You don’t have to aim for bodybuilding to enjoy resistance work. Weight training builds muscle and strength and helps keep you trim. Body weight exercises such as push ups, lunges and squats can be done at home. Once you have mastered the basics you can add weights or resistance bands.

Flexibility and Balance

Exercises for flexibility and balance may include stretches and activities like yoga, tai chi, and Pilates. Keeping flexible helps you with everyday activities like gardening or housework besides decreasing your risk of injury during other exercises. Working on balance helps avoids risks associated with falling.

Functional Training

Workouts can be non- traditional when you add in functional training. Sit to stand, wall pushups, and climbing stairs are bodyweight functional exercises you can start at home without equipment. The objective of these exercises is to get you moving in ways that you normally move when going about you daily life. For instance, sit to stand. I am sure you are already standing from a sitting position. You can do it even when you are watching TV. Here is how to do it. Proceed to sit with the back of your legs against the chair. Push your butt out in a squat and lower your body. Your butt and leg muscles will be activated. Push up with your legs to stand all the way up before hitting the seat. You will feel your legs working . If you need to hold on to the arm rest, you can. Repeat 8 times to start. Its important that your form is good. Therefore, practice as much as you can.

Experiment and Explore

Experiment and explore several exercise options. Low-impact exercises which don’t involve jumping and pounding are better for your joints. Walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, cycling, and racquet sports are all good options for cardiovascular exercise. Weight training under proper supervision is a good idea. Yoga, tai chi, and Pilates help with flexibility and mental health. It’s up to you how much of each you do and it can be a good idea to vary your routines to stop you getting bored. Exercising in a class or with your friends brings you physical, psychological, and social benefits.

Should You See Your Doctor?

It’s a good idea to see your doctor before you take up any new form of exercise. Your medical practitioner can advise you of any precautions you may need to take based on your current health profile. If after you exercise you experience chest pains, dizziness, nausea or any other unpleasant symptoms, talk to your doctor as soon as possible. In most cases, it will be nothing to worry about but it’s as well to be sure.

Live Strong, Live Long

Unless you have been an athlete all your life as you age your body will slow down and you won’t be able to exercise as intensively as a younger person. But that doesn’t mean you should stop altogether. With the right exercises and at the right pace, keeping active is always a good plan, whatever your time of life. And it’s never too late to start.

Benefits of Walking to Exercise: Nine Reasons Why Walking is The Best Exercise To Help You Lose Weight

Walking as a form of exercise has received a bad rap over the last several years. Many people aspiring to transform their body, lose weight, be healthier, or maintain their weight have been conditioned to think that they need to do more than just walk to see both short-term and long-term results. There are other individuals, however, who insist that walking is enough to make a significant difference in your overall fitness and well-being. And they are right. You gain the same health benefits of exercise like you do with other activities without the risks and expense. Below are nine reasons why walking is the best cardio workout for your body and budget.

1. Walking is Easy

We learn how to walk early in life, so it is not an exercise that takes any effort to learn or master. Even if we own alternate transportation most of us are pedestrians. If you want to increase your walking intensity try walking faster, longer, going up hills or adding weights. Then you can also more walking days. If you know walk for 3 days now increase it to 4 days per week. It is so easy to change it up without changing your schedule. Start taking your baby steps by committing to walking 15 mins per day .

2. Walking is Easier on Your Joints

As we age, the tendons and ligaments surrounding our joints harden. When this occurs, joints become less mobile and simple motions, such as lifting a box, become more challenging. Although walking requires motion, it is a much more restrictive motion compared to rigorous forms of exercise. It’s considered a low impact exercise.

3. Walking is More Enjoyable

Although there are many fitness enthusiasts who love to engage in challenging workouts, there are also many others who want to live healthier lifestyles but don’t want to push their bodies too hard. For several individuals, a brisk walk at the park or in nature is more pleasurable than lifting heavy weights at the gym.

4. Walking is More Accessible

One of the best things about walking is that it is an excellent choice for exercise no matter the fitness level of the individual. Everyone, from beginners to professional athletes, benefits from walking. No tryouts necessary nor do you have to join a team. The benefits that you will gain will motivate you and keep you strutting.

5. Walking with Friends and Friendly is Highly-Motivating

Going for a walk with loved ones can greatly benefit one’s health. By walking with friends and family, you can motivate each other to keep going or walk faster. Studies have demonstrated a strong correlation between exercising with a partner and achieving personal goals. If you are busy this might a good time to catch up with a friend.

6. Walking is a Gateway to Running

If you want to start running, you should start with walking. In fact, most running programs includes walking alternating with running. You must walk before you run.

7. Walking is Cheap

You do not need any special gear or shoes to walk in. You can walking in any comfortable clothes and shoes. Walking can lift your mood and give you energy. Feeling stressed? Go take a walk. Gather your thought, recenter and calm your mind. If you want to make it more challenging then walk up some hills or add booty bands or do both.

8. No Membership Required To Walk

You can walk anywhere. You do not need to go the gym. The beach, park, or your neighborhood are few of the places you can go for a walk. Going up hills will burn more calories than walking on flat surface. Don’t forget the stairwell.

9.Walk While You Work

Take your lunch break and go for a walk. Plan to wear comfortable clothes and shoes on the days you want to walk. I know they say it’s best to east slow but on the days you want to walk take a sandwich or something that’s not complex to eat . You want to spend your time walking not eating. Most places allow 30 mins of lunch . Plan to eat for 10 mins and walk for 20. If you get longer lunches then take that additional time to walk.

Conclusion

Like more intense exercises, walking has lots of the same health benefits but can be more fun for some. Reaping the benefits of walking means you have to be consistent with your routine and come up with a plan that fits your unique personality and situation. The American Heart Association recommends 30 mins of physical activity 5 days a week. Walking can help your reach this goal.

Exercise Tips for Beginners :5 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Your Journey

7 Mistakes to Avoid When Working Out

There are many mistakes that you can make on your way to health, wellness and a better body. For example, You may assume that getting in long sessions at the gym twice a week is all you need to come by that dream body. In reality, however, creating a better version of yourself doesn’t work that way. If you want to make your journey a success then you need to be prepared to give it plenty of time and patience, and plan well. If you don’t plan, you will be derailed on your road to a new you.

A Plan in Your Hands

Many people obtain a great deal of confidence from working out to a fitness plan. Some, however, like to make it up at the gym as they go along. It’s important to understand that a plan can be a template that helps you succeed. It can help you track how much progress you make, and help you make tweaks over time, depending on how much headway you make. If you don’t have a plan, you’re likely to be aimless, make mistakes, and lower your chances of success.

Too Hard For That Body

Many people start out with a fitness plan, but don’t allow themselves to progress gradually. Instead, they work out too hard right away. They injure themselves, become discouraged by how difficult exercise is, and give up.

Your fitness plan should include a way to gradually intensify your workouts, giving you plenty of recovery time to help your muscles repair themselves, heal, and develop. Your plan should include exercises that allow you to warm up, work out and cool down. This call progressive overload in the fitness community.

Stuck In Rut

Even if you’ve had a personal trainer design a workout just for you, you need to remember that the plan can’t last you forever. With time, your body is likely to adapt to those exercises and become too efficient at them. Your body won’t be challenged enough by them then. It’s important to keep tweaking your workouts at least once every two weeks. If you don’t alter your workouts over time, the gains in strength and fitness that you make will plateau before long. It essential to change up you routine every so often with a method known as periodization. This will also decrease boredom. Change gyms and find new equipment to use if possible.

Work Hard For That Body

It can be tempting to only work out lightly at the gym, barely breaking a sweat in the process. Light workouts are hardly the way to lose weight or build muscle, however. While you can certainly allow yourself to cheat on your workouts once in a while, light workouts can’t be the rule. If you don’t work out hard enough to get your heart pumping for reasonable periods of time, you probably won’t see results.

Mind Your Position

While modern gym machines are designed to make proper exercise form easy to achieve, you can still make mistakes on them. If you’re on the elliptical machine, you need to hold a good, erect posture, and concentrate on your workout. If you’re the treadmill, you need to space out your steps, look straight ahead, and run with purpose. Not only do poor posture and half-hearted form make it hard for you to get results, they often lead to injury.

Too Much of Good Thing

It’s important to supply yourself with enough energy as your body recovers from its workouts. You can also supply yourself with too much energy, however, if you gorge on sugary energy bars and fast food. You don’t want empty calories from such foods in your diet. Instead you should aim to supply yourself with energy from healthy foods. When you get yourself on the healthy diet, you attain your fitness goals far more easily.

Too Much Cardio and Not Enough Weights or Resistance Training

Do be afraid to push you body against resistance. This can either be done with your own body weight or using equipment either at home or the gym. While you may have a well-designed workout plan to follow, you may hold convictions about how cardio exercises are more important than weights when it comes to losing pounds. If your workouts focus too greatly on cardio exercises and not enough on resistance workouts involving weights, you lose an important opportunity to tone your muscles, raise your metabolic rate and burn calories fast.

It’s important, when you work out, to be sensitive to the needs of your body. You won’t make progress and your mistakes are likely to get in the way of your ability to attain your goals.

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8 Reasons Why Working Out Is Important

8 Reasons Why Working Out Is Important

For some exercising is a lifestyle, something they do to stay fit but also as fun. For others, they do it to lose weight, tone their body or improve their health. No matter the reasons for working out, the exercises should be based on your goals. It is for this reason that there is no instant way to build muscles, tone the body, or lose weight through exercises. Obtaining health via exercise is not a “one size fit all” plan . As such, while high-intensity workouts may be well-placed, they do not always correlate with getting the best or desired results. Furthermore, they are not appropriate for everyone and are sometimes not sustainable.

But then again, the health benefits and advantages of working out have been trumpeted for years. To exercise, you have to put in the time and effort; to push your body to stay active. But you do not just start anyhow. You should have a specific goal, plan, and schedule. This will determine which type of exercises you will do, when, and at what intensity.

There are so many different workout you can choose from and they all have different benefits.

Irrespective of all of that, do it right, and you will realize the health benefits of working out that include:

1. Exercising keeps you fit and healthy. Workout out regularly and you will hardly find yourself walking through hospital corridors unless you work there or you are visiting someone. You significantly reduce the risk of developing health issues if you exercise and eat healthly.

2. Being overweight can be detrimental to your health. Working out will help avoid being obese while also lower the risk of associated health problems. Many of the diseases are linked to inactivity.

3. Working out gives you energy and helps to sleep better. However, the energy that you get from working can cause insomnia if you do it too close to bedtime. Therefore, do no workout too close to bedtime.

4. Working out can be fun. Exercising does not have to be a pain; it can be an exciting, enjoyable and fun activity . You do not have to engage in a boring aerobics class or strenuous weight training. There are plenty of fun workout tools such as battle ropes that can make your workout more interesting. You may also like Zumba or walking.

5. It is possible to learn a new skill when you engage in different exercises. For instance, you can enroll in a martial arts class such as tai chi or you may want to learn how to swim, ride a bike or dance. You do not have to stick to traditional exercises such as running, jogging, or lifting weights.

6. You can connect with like minded people . Experts advise people to consider finding a workout partner. How about inviting a friend to workout with you. You can find plenty of workout videos on line. If you are a member of a fitness club or enroll in an aerobics class at your community center, you have the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. You may be surprised to find people with whom you share common interests aside from your love for exercising. Moreover, working out with other people helps you to stay motivated.

7. Your efforts to stay fit and healthy will be a good example to your kids and others around you. Rather than being a couch potato or spending time in front of the TV playing video games, go to the park to play football, take the kids to swim, go hiking, or engage in any other outdoor activity? A family that plays together stay together.

8. Starting a workout routine can be your first step toward self improvement. Perhaps you would never have thought that you would run and complete a 20k race, have a ripped body, or even be flexible enough to do yoga poses. You will not know what is possible to achieve until you try.

In a nutshell, working out is important because it will help improve your health and make you fee better about yourself especially when you set goals and meet them.

What Is A Battle Rope?

The battle ropes name conjures up a utility rope used as a tool in military missions in rough terrains or guys jumping from helicopters to buildings. But now due to their ability to build endurance, muscle and strength they have become staples. in most gyms. If you have the space at home, they can also be used n your backyard or living room. You don’t need to go to the gym to use one of these.

Battle ropes are thick and heavy ropes used mostly to work the upper body and core by acting as dynamic weights that are anchored to a fixed point. However, since you can squat. lunge and go throught numerous exercises with the aide of your legs, they can also help tone and stregthen your lower body.

Battle ropes are also known as power ropes, battling ropes, training ropes, conditioning ropes, muscle ropes, thick ropes, undulation ropes, combat ropes, and exercise ropes. A battle rope is not a weighted skipping or jump rope.

The battle ropes can be challenging but fun. You will be activating a few muscles at the same time while using the ropes. The workouts can be used for strength training, cardio or functional training. Although most of the images depicted are with fit people, anyone can use a battle rope. It is not impossible to learn how to use them effectively.

Battle Rope Benefits

Battle ropes offer a full body workout that probably won’t find with any other tool. While the initial intention for the lines was working out the upper body, by integrating the ropes in other exercises they help build your strength and endurance for the arms, the back, shoulders, abs, legs, and the entire core.
You can get an effective cardio session by intensifying the movements. The fluid motion of the exercises won’t strain your joints. This effect allows you to push harder.
The movements also help with stability coordination.
There are so many battle rope exercises that you can transition in and out of with ease. Try them all until you find a few that you like.

Battle Ropes Buying Guide

When thinking about purchasing battle ropes, the things to focus on are material, thickness, and length. The determinants of which rope you get to buy include the size of the room and whether you will use them outside or inside. You should also consider the purpose of your workout since a cardio oriented, HIIT training will require a different diameter compared to a workout seeking to build muscle.

Material

Just like anything else, you get what you pay for. Plus nothing last for ever. But if you are going to be beating the crap out of the rope few times a weak then you need something strong. In terms of material, there is manila the natural material used mostly in battle ropes. It is best used outdoors since frequent use leads fraying . They are also heavy and can soak up water if left outside. Synthetic material is great for both outdoor and indoor use, and there are many options from Nylon to Polypropylene and Dacron.

Size

Battle ropes are differentiated by their grip diameter and length as follows. 1.5/2.0/2.5 inches. There are two main size categories; 1.5 and 2.0 diameters. The 1.5″ ropes are great for a solid grip, and they are light enough making them great for cardio and HIIT workouts. If you have small hands its best you purchase a smaller diameter rope. However, if you are strong and well seasoned weight lifter then you can go for the bigger grip.

Length

The length of the rope is primarily determined by the size of the room and also your strength The most popular size is the 50 feet rope then the 40 feet rope and the 30 feet. There are ropes as longs a 60 feet. The longer the rope the heavier the rope but you will also need more room to play with the rope.

Ideally, most individuals are well served by the 1.5 and 50-feet diameter rope which explains why it is the size combination that is most sold.

Are they Worth The Money? You decide.

Their size and material may intimidate you, but they are actually among the most affordable gym equipment. Investing in them provides a range of uses from the workouts to adding the intensity of bodyweight workouts like squats and push ups.
They can be used anywhere and anytime. All you need is the rope, an anchor point. This make them very convenient. No set up necessary.
The ropes can be used to do a range of exercises working out the whole body. You can also use them for climbing and pulling.
The thickness and length of the rope are what determines how difficult it will be to use them. You can play around this by tying a knot in the middle of the rope and keep increasing it as your ability develops.
The ropes are also portable. You only need to roll them up like a hose, and you can carry them to where you wish from the garden to the park. beach, backyard, garage or living room.

Using the rope effectively involves torso and core stabilization. Grip both ends with each hand like you are giving a strong hand shake and swing them through a range of motions. Here is how to stabilize your core, spine and legs.

How to Use Ropes

Assume this position to workout your legs for a full body workout.

 Hold the ropes at the end like you are giving a strong hand shake
 Squat down ¼ way with heal into the floor. Feet should be shouldered width apart
 Make sure you stabilize your spine, core, and legs
 Make sure you breath
 Move only shoulders and arms

In the above position, you can do these variations. Remain in a squat position

 Rope Slams (Both Arms) – Raise rope over your head with both hands and lower rope as hard as you can. Repeat
 Rope Slams ( Single Arm) – Raise right arm then slam rope to the floor. Repeat with left arm. Repeat
 Double Arm Waves –Raise both arms at the same time and make up and down medium waves on the floor. Repeat
 Side to Side Slide the rope on the ground from side to side. In a snake-like fashion. Repeat

Impress your doctor at your visit next by telling him that you have started battle rope training. He will probably be clueless but once you tell him what it entails he will be please. .

You can use battle ropes as a part of your 30 min physical activity required for the day. First practice the position and movement patterns. Then start at 10 seconds and rest for a min between each one. Do as much cycle as you can for 30 mins. You can also do other activities in between. If your are intimidated by barbells and dumbbells then battle ropes can be you weights of choice and will also help with your cardiovascular endurance

Here is a plan for you if you are new to working out and want to try out the battle rope. Start at 10 seconds and increase as you get better. Its best not to start too hard or you will get burned out quickly Once this becomes easy you can do the exercise longer and decrease the amount of time you walk in place. Increase exercise by 10 seconds and decrease walks by 10 seconds.

Beginners Battle Rope Workout Plan

Exercise	Time
Rope Slams- Both Hands	10 sec
Walk in Place	60 sec
Rope Slams- One Hand	10 sec
Walk in Place	60 sec
Double Arm Waves	10 sec
Walk in Place	60 sec
Side to Side	10 sec
Rest	2mins