Learning to Love Physical Activity
By Rachel Shouse
There are those who love working out and there are those who don't. If you fall into the latter category, don't fret. There is a way to make exercise enjoyable for you. There's no need for a hard task to be made harder by annoying exercises or routines that don't work for you. It's important for your physical health that you know your goals, target areas with certain workouts, and switch your routine up so it helps other problematic areas.
Know Your Goals
Sticking to a new workout can be really difficult. People tend to start new things with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and slowly burn out. Exercise is no exception. However, setting goals can really help counteract this problem. You know what areas you want to work on. This could be an area of your body or even a desire for improved health. Regardless of what's motivated you, keeping your goals at the forefront of your mind can help keep you on the right track.
Keeping Your Workout Targeted
It's very important that you create a workout routine that's going to target the areas that you're most worried about. Running, swimming, walking, push-ups, etc., all do different things. For example, walking is great as it does increase your heart rate, but not quite like running would. Think about the following ideas and whether or not they'd get you closer to your goals.
Cardio - Cardio is great for those who are focusing on their heart health or who may need some more intensity in order to see a benefit. Running, swimming, stair climbers, etc., are all great ways to get some cardio into your workout.
Weight training - A lot of people avoid weightlifting because they think it's simply to buff up. However, the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn. This happens because muscle requires more calories than fat.
Increased intensity intervals - Increasing the intensity of your workout periodically also helps burn more calories. This can be applied to any workout -- even weight training. Simply increase the weights or, if you're running, increase your speed. It's a very flexible tool.
Switch Up Your Routine
Changing your routine provides a lot of benefits. Not only does it prevent you from getting bored, but it also helps you target other areas of concern. Your main goal could be weight loss, but you could also want to gain a little more muscle. Any combination applies. You could target one or two areas per day. Imagine how many areas you could tackle with just a little planning.
Working out may be hard at first, but it will get easier. It takes time to build a habit. Remember that working out isn't a short-term fix, but a lifestyle that you should keep up with.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Santa Rosa, Calif.