Embarking on a fitness journey can be daunting, especially for beginners. Fear not, as we delve into the world of exercise, unraveling its complexities and presenting it in a digestible format. Let's explore the fundamentals of starting an effective workout routine.
What is exercise?
Exercise is one of the best tools we have to fight obesity, some types of cancer, diabetes, and obesity
- You don’t need much to get the benefits of exercise – even a few minutes a day can improve your health and well-being
- Reduced your risk of heart disease and cancer
- Boosted your mood
- Improved your confidence
- Increased your productivity
Strength training
Another form of exercise that works the body in a different way than cardio
- Lifts weights to strengthen muscles, bones, and connective tissue
- Build lean muscle tissue which raises metabolism and reduces body fat
- Important for weight loss as cardio
Strength training guidelines
For strength training, do one set of eight to 16 reps of each exercise to fatigue
- Train each muscle group two to three non-consecutive days a week
- Stretch within your range of motion
- Do static stretches with a focus on tight areas, such as the hamstrings and lower back
- Pilates also promotes flexibility along with core strength and stability
- The important thing is to move your body as often as you can
- Motivation is key to starting an exercise routine
- Start with something simple and accessible
Basic principles that govern the world of exercise
**** is an easy way to remember the exercise variables you can manipulate to avoid plateaus and to keep your body challenged
- When you work out at a sufficient intensity, time, and frequency, your body will improve (also called the Training Effect)
- Changing any of these variables every four to six weeks can help you keep that training effect going
- In order to improve your strength, endurance, and fitness, you have to progressively increase the frequency, intensity, and time of your workouts
Cardio Exercise Basics
Cardio exercise is any rhythmic activity performed continuously and can include activities like walking, running, aerobics, cycling, swimming, and dancing.
- For health benefits, do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
- For weight loss, you may need to do 60 to 90 minutes of activity several times a week (e.g., 20 to 60 minutes of cardio every day).
