The Best Workouts For The New Year
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There is a belief among fitness professionals that the best workout is often the one that you’re not doing. The reason for this is that bodies quickly adapt and change will then cease. Those who are trying to lose weight and make positive changes in their bodies often become frustrated when they hit a plateau.
While plateaus are normal, too many of them can cause you to become frustrated and give up on your goal. For this reason, I suggest seeking the advice of a fitness professional. Also for this reason, I have given a few different choices for various fitness levels.
For novices or those who have been sedentary for a while, I recommend starting with walking for cardiovascular activity. You may only be able to do it for about ten minutes at a time to start, so break up your intervals throughout the day. You may also want to consider water workouts or swimming, combining both cardio and resistance training. Water workouts also take added pressure off the bones and joints, allowing you to perform your workouts optimally.
As you progress with your cardiovascular level, perhaps it is time to move from walking to an elliptical trainer for a low-impact cardiovascular workout. Group exercise classes at a gym are also a great way to burn calories. Dance-based aerobic classes such as Zumba are a fun way to get into shape.
As you get stronger and in better shape, it may be time to jog or run. I find that those who train for a race or event are often more encouraged to stick to their goal. Cardio training that involves high intense interval training or plyometrics may also be a way to advance your workout.
For a strength component for beginners, I would suggest starting with resistance bands, rather than weights. Bands are convenient and portable. They are also an inexpensive way to get started on a fitness regimen.
Strength training with bands is a great way to learn resistance training because it allows the body to focus on both the beginning phase of the exercise and the ending phase of the exercise which are consecutively referred to as the concentric and eccentric movements.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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