Many people want to get in better shape, but think that doing so is too difficult. Educating yourself on exactly how to get in shape is the first step to actually doing it. This article is full of great tips to help get you started.
Plant a garden in your yard. Many people do not realize the amount of exercise planting a garden involves. Weeding, digging, and being on your knees working the soil is required for a good garden. Gardening is among numerous activities you can do from your house to stay in shape.
If so, consider another option. Biking is another great exercise. Try bicycling for a fun and economical commute to work that will be of great benefit to your body. A commute of 5 miles should equate to about a 30 minute bike ride. Since it is a two way trip, you get a double benefit: an hour of fitness exercise.
You will want to be sure you aren’t spending any longer than an hour to lift weights. On top of that, your muscles start to deteriorate after about an hour of work. Keep your weight training under an hour.
Your abs need more than crunches to look great. You only burn 1 pound of fat for every 250,000 crunches you do, according to a recent university study. So, if your only workout is crunches, you end up cheating yourself. Find other, more strenuous ways, to work those abdominal muscles.
Heavier Weights
If you aim to build more muscle mass, lift heavier weights using fewer reps. Try picking one group of muscles, like your arms. Start by lifting light weights to warm up. Your warm up should included 15 to 20 reps. Then do one with heavier weights for less reps. For your third set, add five more pounds of weight.
Plan on spending small amounts of time every day exercising. Making the conscious effort to take the stairs instead of the elevator can result in weight loss and improvement of life.
You can enhance your workouts effectively by learning how to control your breathing properly. During crunches and sit ups, exhale as your shoulders are raised. Because your muscles contract when you exhale, your abdominal muscles get a better workout than they would without the exhalation.
It’s a good idea to alternate some sit-ups into your workout along with your crunches. This value of this particular exercise has been underestimated in recent years. To do sit-ups safely, don’t use an anchored-feet position. This type of sit up is not good for the muscles in your back.
Muscles you have worked hard one day should get only a light workout the following day. You can achieve this by doing exercises at a significantly lower intensity.
For easy fitness, try working in the yard. You need to move and your yard probably needs to have work done on it. It’s win-win! Do your yard work once a week and do as much as you can. You will get so caught up in your yard that you won’t realize how much time is going by. Not only will you have an excellent yard, you will have an excellent body to match.
The ideas and advice you have learned here should give you some great ideas to help you get fit. Keep in mind that information on this subject is voluminous, and only by putting advice into action will you see real results. If you use all the information that you’ve learned, success will surely follow.