It sure would be great if any time spent in the gym delivered results, but the truth is that all workouts were not created equally. There are techniques for getting the most out of each exercise and by utilizing these techniques you’ll achieve quicker and more noticeable results.
Check out the following 5 Smart Workout Tips to avoid danger and to get fit fast:
Smart Workout Tip 1: Use Challenging Resistance
In order to get the most from each rep it’s important to challenge your muscles, and not to simply go through the motions. If you are able to complete 15 repetitions easily, then the weight is too light. On the flip side, if you aren’t able to perform an exercise through its full range of motion, and find yourself cheating on form, then the weight is too heavy.
The correct weights will feel challenging by your last few repetitions but won’t force you to sacrifice form.
Smart Workout Tip 2: Change Up Your Routine
You may have noticed that most people do the same exercises each time they visit the gym. Maybe you’ve been doing the same exercise routine as long as you can remember—if it isn’t broken then don’t fix it, right?
The truth is that exercise routines have expiration dates, and that is the date that they begin to lose their effectiveness. This is why as Functional Aging Specialists, we constantly change up our workouts and routines every 3 – 4 weeks.
Smart Workout Tip 3: Always Warm Up
Most people consider warm up time to be wasted time—they’d rather jump right into the heart of the routine. What they don’t realize is that a good warm up will allow you to perform at a higher intensity, which means greater results.
If you are over 50 years old, a functional warm-up is especially important to prepare the aging body for multiplanar exercise and compound movements that replicate our daily living activities. Here’s a sample of one of our functional warm ups that you can try at home!
The point of a warm up is to increase your muscle temperature. This increases blood flow, muscle contraction and reduces muscle resistance. Your warm up should last 5-10 minutes.
Smart Workout Tip 4: Use Proper Form
Gyms are filled with people performing exercises with bad form. The two biggest reasons are that you aren’t concentrating on the exercise, or you’re trying to lift weight that is too heavy. Lifting with improper form almost always results in injury.
Take the time to achieve proper form. By doing so, you’ll avoid injury and will reap the full benefit from each exercise.
Smart Workout Tip 5: Never Workout Alone
People who exercise alone are less challenged, less accountable and typically see fewer results. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Why rush to the gym if no one is there waiting for you? Why push yourself if no one is watching? Exercising alone is a recipe for disaster.
The best way to avoid injury and to see results is to work with a Functional Aging Specialist. We are passionate about seeing our clients achieve results by working out smart and without wasting time, energy and effort on mistakes.
Don’t know where to start when it comes to aging actively and exercise? Let us help you!
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