Fitness shouldn’t be a term that you feel any reason to shy away from. The word may bring back things that you would rather forget, like a childhood spent being teased over your weight. Let go of hurtful feelings and be proud of having a healthy body. The information in this article will help you get started quickly.
Listen to your body when exercising. A little muscle soreness here and there is quite normal, especially if you have started a new kind of workout. Continuous pain is a different matter altogether. It is your body’s way of telling you that you have overdone things, and are in danger of injuring yourself, maybe seriously. Rather than self-medicating with aspirin or another type of pain reliever, visit your doctor.
If jogging or hitting the gym is not your thing and you love gardening, how about getting the shovel and wheelbarrow out and getting in a little exercise in your yard? In fact, the National Institute of Health, lists gardening among the moderate exercises that are recommeneded for combating obesity. Just weeding for 30 minutes can burn over 150 calories and you’ll work muscles in your back, legs and arms, without the jarring that jogging and aerobic exercises puts your body through. So the next time you dread putting on your jogging shoes, pick up a hoe and take care of that flower bed you’ve been meaning to get to, for the last month. It’s fun and great for your body.
It is vital to start a new exercise program slowly to avoid physical injury. Most injuries typically occur by working out too much or without a properly warming up. Begin your workout by stretching to get the muscles conditioned and ready. Increase the intensity of your workout by 10 percent each week.
When strength training or working with weights, try to keep your daily workout under 60 minutes. After an hour, your body responds to strength-building exercises by producing excessive amounts of cortisol. This hormone can block the production of testosterone and may actually impair the body’s ability to build and maintain muscle.
Everyone has a busy schedule. Many people find it hard to fit in a long workout in their busy lives. If this is the case, you should try doing whatever you can during the day. Even if it is only ten minutes you should try and get some sort of exercise.
To avoid straining your neck when you are doing crunches or other abdominal exercises, try putting your tongue against the roof of your mouth. This will help you keep your head properly aligned while you exercise, which will reduce the strain on your neck. If your neck starts to hurt, stop right away.
Never lift weights for more than an hour. If you continue lifting for any longer than that, your body will automatically activate a natural defense mechanism, which causes muscle-wasting and fatigue. Keep yourself on a strict time limit to prevent losing what muscle mass you have worked so hard to gain.
By implementing these tips and techniques, your feelings about weight loss, physical fitness and eating right may have changed for the positive. You will feel better about your body, live longer and have a lot of fun.