First, it is important to incorporate some cardiovascular exercises into your fitness regimen. This is important for numerous reasons. First, it ensures that your heart remains strong and healthy. Second, it helps you lose fat or maintain your current weight.
Because your heart rate is elevated with cardio exercise, it is proven to be of the best weight-loss methods. You may think that cardio is simply running outside or on a treadmill, but the truth is there are so many other things you can do to get a good cardio workout. For instance, you could try riding a bike outside, playing a sport, or even just dancing to your favorite songs. All can help elevate your heart rate, increasing your metabolism. If you have bad joints, you should consider using an elliptical machine, which has been proven to be one of the best weight-loss machines for those with weak joints. Cardio workouts can be accomplished virtually anytime and anywhere.Although cardio exercise is extremely important, you should not forget to include some resistance training as well. This is important for building lean muscle, which helps to keep your metabolism high and burn off fat. Although you may be afraid of resistance training because you do not want to get bulky, you should not let this stop you. Although it is true that resistance training can do this to you, it won't if you maintain a healthy diet and incorporate some cardio workouts as well. In fact, if you don't do resistance training, you could end up burning a lot of muscle as well as fat, which can cause you to look deathly sick. If you are prone to injury, you don't even have to use weights. You can use your own body weight, such as push-ups or pull-ups, to do resistance training.
Make sure you don't forget to workout the lower back. Many weightlifters focus on the "mirror muscles", such as the chest, shoulders, and biceps. However, all parts of the body should be worked out, and that includes your lower back. If you fail to workout this part of your body, it will get weak. When you have a weak lower back, you are prone to serious injury. Lower back injury is a very serious matter that can be prevented by working it out. Try doing some superman's and lat pull-downs to workout this muscle.
Whenever you workout regularly, it's important that you eat right. This includes eating before and after your workout. About an hour before your workout, you should consume a light snack that contains long-lasting carbohydrates, such as brown rice, oatmeal, or a whole-wheat bagel. Include some protein as well. After your workout, you should consume foods with a higher glycemic index because your body needs fast-absorbing carbohydrates during this time, especially if your workout was intense. These foods include white rice, mashed potatoes, and cereal. Also, make sure you include protein. Protein is an important macronutrient for a healthy body.
When working out, it's important not to just do a workout whenever you have free time. If you are a busy person, you will probably struggle to find free time and make an excuse that you're too busy. Instead, set a time for your workouts and stick with them, no matter what. It really doesn't matter what time of the day you workout, just as long as you actually do it. If you workout best in the early morning before work, do it. If the best time for you to workout is after work, then do that. Just make sure you incorporate a workout into your day somewhere.
Finally, keep in mind the golden rule whenever you are in the middle of your workout: always breathe. Never hold your breath. This is important for many reasons. First, you can get dizzy and faint if you do not breathe. Second, your muscles require oxygen in order to function. In order to receive oxygen, you have to breathe. Breathing deeply can actually help you get through extremely difficult workouts. Remember to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Living a healthy lifestyle does not have to be difficult. Utilize the tips provided above, and you can plan out your fitness regime with success.
Article by: Jeffrey Long
Simple Fitness Tips to Accommodate All Lifestyles