How to Stay Motivated with Your Fitness Training Routine
Fitness training focuses on improving the health of your body through various exercise types. This includes cardiovascular, flexibility and strength training. Cardiovascular or “cardio” exercises burn calories and increase your heart rate, which helps prevent high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. Strength training strengthens muscles, reducing your risk of injury and increasing balance, mobility and bone density. Core muscles are also important for preventing back pain, strengthening the core and coordinating upper and lower body movements.
Fitness trainers often lead group fitness classes to engage and motivate participants. They may create or adapt exercise routines based on the needs, abilities and goals of each group they teach. They offer verbal cues, corrections and modifications to help people perform exercise correctly and safely.
Aerobic activities are the foundation of most fitness training programs. This type of exercise boosts oxygen flow to your heart, lungs and blood vessels, which helps your body use energy more efficiently and complete everyday physical tasks. It can improve your mental health by reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. It can also decrease the likelihood of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, and lowers the risk for osteoporosis.
You don’t need expensive equipment or a gym membership to get a good workout. Many strength training exercises can be done using hand weights, plastic soft drink bottles filled with water or sand, or your own body weight, such as pushups, pullups, leg squats and situps. For more variety, try varying your resistance levels. For example, if you use heavy weights for most of your sets, do a few sets with lighter weights or even no weight at all. Adding a short rest period between sets can also help with muscle growth and strength gains.
Having some variety in your fitness training can keep you from getting bored and dropping motivation. When you’re starting out, increase your workout intensity gradually. Aim to get 30 to 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity most days of the week.
When you’re a little more experienced, experiment with different workouts and techniques. Try varying your repetitions and sets, and try training each muscle group on different days of the week. The goal is to avoid overtraining and to ensure that each muscle group has enough time to recover between sessions.
Another option is to incorporate some HIIT, or high-intensity interval training. HIIT workouts include brief bursts of intense exercise followed by short periods of recovery. The exercises vary and can be a mix of cardiovascular, anaerobic and agility training. They’re a great way to build your fitness and burn fat, while also helping you lose weight. It’s important to talk with your doctor before beginning a new fitness program. They can help you decide if it’s safe for you and advise you about how much exercise is recommended. You can also ask your doctor to recommend a qualified personal trainer. These professionals have the skills to design and implement a fitness program to meet your goals, regardless of your age or fitness level.