Fitness and Exercsie Tips

Exercising and keeping fit is a necessity for living a healthier more enjoyable life.  Below are some tips for exercising in order to keep you in good physical condition.  It is also wise to check with your doctor prior to engaging in strenuous exercise, particularly if you suffer from a respiratory or heart disease.   Below are some exercise and fitness tips to help you get going.

First, it is imperative to make time for exercise.  If you have a hard time finding a block of 30 or 60 minutes a day, break up the time into 20 minute segments.  Another suggestion is to get out for 15 minutes during your lunch time for a brisk walk.  Another idea is when you get home from work to walk your dog or lift some weights.  The most important thing is to stick with it, rather than starting it for a while and then stopping.  Once you stop, you have to build up your endurance again.

The problem with sticking to a consistent workout regimen is trying to get to the gym versus working out at home.  While working out at home is more convenient plus some people are more comfortable working out at home due to the lack of an audience, it is easier to say 'not now' or 'in a little bit'.  Going to the gym will help you to maintain consistency in an exercise regimen.  However, what will work best is the place where you will consistently participate in an exercise program.

Next, engaging in some exercise and weight training is definitely better than not doing any exercise at all.  An interesting insight is that if you have a total body workout once a week, gives you 70% of the benefits for those that work out on a regular basis, at least three times a week.  Doing at least one set of weights and one hour of cardio workout can reduce heart disease.

Another tip is that one pound of fat burns approximately 2 calories while a pound of muscle burns about 35 to 50 calories a day.  Therefore, it is better to build up muscle versus fat—muscle conditioning and weight training activity is the best way to stay in shape.

Additionally, by integrating your conditioning in successive workouts is called cross-training.  Cross-training usually prevents individuals from sustaining injuries because the muscles are used to performing under different exercising circumstances.  Only engaging in one type of physical activity will not prepare your muscles for different types of activities which leaves you open for injuries to occur.

Regular and consistent exercise not only reduces the risk for injuries to occur, but proper technique when exercising also helps prevent injuries.  A good example is abdominal workouts.  Controlling your lifting and lowering of your body is essential to using a proper technique.  You should also practice proper breathing techniques, such as exhaling as your contract and inhaling as you release.

When exercising on a regular basis, it is recommended to integrate different regimens, rotating between high intensity cardiovascular exercise and moderate intensity.  This also is recommended for weight training.  This not only helps to burn fat, but also fuels your metabolism.  Working out three to five times a week for 30 to 60 minutes at lower intensities is better than not working out at all.

Last, it is important to give your body a resting period along with a balanced diet.  While weight training is one of the keys to achieving good muscle condition, it is imperative to allow your muscles to rest and recover.  This is due to microscopic tears that can occur with your muscles.  As they heal, allowing your body to rest between your weight training workouts in addition to good nutrition helps the body to recuperate.