So last post we talked about setting some goals for 2018. Here we are, a week into the new year… how are we doing? Perfect? Not so good? Somewhere in between? Good news is you have each day to start new if you’ve experienced a set back, so don’t be discouraged. If your goal is get fit in 2018, remember to be specific on how.
You’ve set your goals, now let’s talk about your workouts. What should your workout include? Well, that depends on what your goal is. So, in general terms regardless of what your specific goals may be, if you are going for total body fitness there’s a reason for the old saying, “variety is the spice of life”. Don’t get stuck in a workout rut by doing the same thing day in day out. Not only will you get bored mentally, but you will also find your body getting use to the same workout and you will stop seeing benefits. You need to continually introduce new challenges to your body in order to reap benefits. Some folks are creatures of habit & habits are good. That’s what we’re here to talk about but establishing habits of exercise and good health, not just habits of running 2-3 miles every day at the same pace. Yes that’s a great habit but you can do better for your body if you swap out a couple of those runs for strength training, balance & stability training, flexibility & stretching, & some meditation.
Yes, meditation can be part of your workout regiment and should be. Your mind/soul needs a workout for overall fitness too. I know, trust me when I say this can be REALLY difficult to add in, but we’ve got some tricks up out sleeve. Consider this, meditation doesn’t have to be sitting on a mountain top cross legged chanting ohms. Anything can become meditative. Being mindful of the moment you are in, not thinking about what has happened or what is to come next is meditation. This can be something as simple as brewing a cup of tea, cooking a meal, playing a game of tennis or 먹튀검증, practicing yoga, ANYTHING! Whatever the activity turn off the mind, focus in on your breath & voila you’re meditating.
Ok, next let’s tackle the physical part of your workout. Your body craves equal amounts of cardio, strength, stability, & stretching. There’s science behind this. Stretching factoids first, even though typically we save stretching for the end of a workout. Those folks who skip out of group ex classes when it comes to stretching at the end, are missing a very crucial part to their workout. Here’s the science…Without proper stretching & cool down there is a significant tendency for blood to pool in the extremities, reducing blood flow back to the heart & vital organs. Proper cool down helps to remove metabolic waste from the muscles. Last but not least, stretching warm muscles leads to greater flexibility.
There are a lot of ideas out there about how much cardio, how many sets of how many reps at what weight, etc. Don’t bog yourself down with all of it. Start simple 20 min of cardio, & as for strength training go for 3 sets of 10-12 reps with whatever weight you can maintain proper form, where that 3rd set is challenging.
Here’s the good news about stability training. It doesn’t have to be another thing to add. You have to include it, but you can incorporate it in with your cardio and/or strength training. How so? There are lots of products out there to help you train on an unstable surface like stability discs, the bosu, and last but certainly not least the GlideFit. We now have two versions one for water, as well as one for land. So if you’re looking to get bursts of cardio on an unstable surface start with 30 seconds to 1 min intervals of things like mountain climbers with hands on the discs or bosu, or if you’re lucky enough, entire body on the GlideFit. Strength training on an unstable surface with resistance bands can be ideal. Go for the same 3 sets of 10-12 reps with good form. Resistance bands come in different levels of tension so choose a level that is challenging.
So let’s recap…20-30min cardio, followed by 15min of strength training, either or both working on an unstable surface, ending with 10 min of stretching/meditation. Try this out 3 to 5 times a week. See how it goes and depending on how you feel make the necessary adjustments. You got this! And checkout our location map to find a GlideFit class near you.