You may, like many other people, not be someone who is naturally physically fit. It can be hard to start exercising if you do not know what you should be doing. You need both guidance and information. The following article has a lot of great tips so you can start down the fitness path today.
Pick exercise routines you find favorable and stay with them. An enjoyable fitness routine is something that you will find yourself looking forward to.
Strength Training
Your strength training goals will determine how often you need to work out. If you want muscle mass, you should not have more than one strength training session a week. For muscles that are leaner and defined, perform strength training more often.
Having strong thighs will insure against injuring your knees. A very common sports-related injury is tearing the ligament found behind the kneecap. Make sure to exercise your quads as well as your hamstrings to prevent this from happening to you. Leg curls, squats and quad extensions are good exercises to build up these muscle groups.
Do not limit yourself to crunches to develop your abs. A prominent university found that only one pound of fat gets burned even after 250,000 crunches. If you are doing them, you should consider doing something else. For best results, incorporate different abdominal exercises into your routine.
When walking, use proper form to avoid getting hurt. As you walk, stand up straight with your shoulders behind you, as if you were being lifted by an invisible string. At the end of each stride, your elbows should be parallel to the ground. Be sure that your arms are opposite your forward foot. When you take a step let you heel fall first then move the remainder of your foot forward.
To increase the level of mass in your body, lift heavier weights. Target one muscle area you want to workout and work on that area. Start with weights that are lighter than usual to warmup your muscles. Do 15-20 reps during this warm-up set. Then gradually work your way up to a heavy weight. Add on another five pounds, then complete a third repetition.
Keep a record of the workouts you do each day. Keep track of every workout you’ve done during the day, and be sure you keep track of any extra exercise as well. Make sure you also purchase a pedometer so that you can easily track your steps and add those to your information as well. This type of written accountability will help you understand your total progress as you move towards your end goal.
If you are truly committed to becoming more fit, heed the advice from this article. You might find that you have to devote some time to living this way, but in the end, it is worth it. Getting into great shape and staying that way is the best way to remain mentally and physically healthy.