Nothing beats waking up in the morning with the thought of going to the gym to lift weights or jog on the treadmill. After a hard days work, the gym is one place you do not even want to think about. Sometimes, even the thought of exercising at home with your own equipment can be less than desirable.
Sometimes, just trying to get and stay motivated to exercise on a regular basis can be a challenge. No matter how you look at it, exercise can be downright boring and even tedious at times.
So, you may be wondering just how you can get the motivation you need to exercise on a regular basis. If you have been wondering what you can do to make exercise more fun, you will find some ideas below that just may help to make exercise more fun and a little bit easier.
First things first, you should exercise with a friend. You can challenge each other, help each other out, keep each other motivated and on track, make each other laugh or just make a game out of your exercise programs.
You can also try something different. If you go to the gym each and every day and use the same piece of equipment or use the same piece of equipment at home, you should try mixing things up. Reverse your routine or just change the order of your exercises.
An outdoor circuit in the park is also something you can try. There are some parks that have circuit courses set up with a planned course where all you have to do is walk or jog to each station and then follow the instructions. If there is not a planned course, then you should do a combination of jogging and walking, picking a distance of a couple hundred feet. Jog 100 feet then drop and do a couple of pushups, walk the next 100 feet and then drop to do sit ups.
Go to a city park that has playground equipment and use the slide, climb on the monkey bars, do pull-ups, hang from your knees, just let your imagination guide you. You do not always need to follow a strict routine, just get out there and have fun working your muscles.
You can also ride a bike around your neighborhood or hike on a hiking trail. A walk in the park or around your neighborhood is also a great way to get some exercise. Doing yoga in the park or on a beach is also a nice and relaxing way to exercise both your body and your mind.
Playing a competitive sport is also something you can try. A lot of cities have team activities such as softball, volleyball, tennis, soccer, and so on. These types of activities will not only provide you with good exercise but they will also help you to meet new people as well.
When you exercise, try to picture your muscles getting bigger. Research has shown that if you focus all of your thoughts on the muscles that you are working, they will respond better. Try to watch them work with each repetition as your muscles contract and relax.
As you can tell, there are plenty of ways you can make exercise more fun and interesting. You do not need to follow the same routine day after day, as you can do many other things to get in some exercise.
The important thing is that you should always try to incorporate exercise in any various forms into your everyday life and make these habits the kind of habits that will last a lifetime.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Where are you going to exercise?
Exercise At Home or Gym
Making the decision of where you will go to exercise is a very important step in reaching your goals of fitness. A lot of factors will go into this decision, and each one should be evaluated well before you start exercising. Once you have made a decision on where you will go to exercise, you can move on to deciding how you plan to work out.
As you probably know, exercising at home has many advantages. The finance factor is one of the best advantages. With the gas prices being what they are today, it is quite obvious that you will save money on fuel as well as wear and tear on your vehicle by choosing to exercise at home.
Memberships to a gym can often be quite expensive and may include other things that you do not need such as child care or swimming pools. You also won't need to be concerned about the latest trends of exercise gear as you most likely will be exercising by yourself at home.
Keep in mind that working out at home does require a bit of financial obligation. Even though you may plan to run, it is very important that you have high quality running shoes. This statement applies to any type of equipment that you may purchase to use at home. If you go out and buy cheap equipment, you will probably end up getting hurt or getting frustrated because you are not making any progress.
Along with the financial gains, exercising at home may also help those who do not like to work out in public. If you are worried about how you look in gym clothes, it is very comforting to know that the only person who has to be with you when you exercise at home is you. Also, when you exercise at home, you do not need to worry about time at all.
Those of you who are motivated by being with people you know or come to know while working out away from home, a gym may be a better idea than working out at home. At the gym, you will also more of a selection of equipment as well, far more than you will have at home.
Gyms will also offer you classes that you may find very motivating. If you attend class on a regular basis, you may be motivated enough to continue so you do not have to defend yourself when asked where you have been or what you have been doing. You can also meet new people in class, or just help others along if you choose.
If you need other services than just weights and equipment, the gym may have just what you need. If you plan to swim a triathlon, you will find the swimming pool at the gym to be just what you need to prepare yourself. Swimming is also a great exercise for your body and cardio, as it will work muscles in your body that you probably did not even know you had.
All in all, making the choice of exercising at home or at the gym is a choice you should make based on your goals and personal preference. The most important decision you will need to make is to determine what type of environment you want to be in and how you want to accomplish the fitness goals in your life.
Once you have given it some thought and weighed out the pros and cons, you will have no problem making the choice. Always keep in mind that once you have made your choice, you can always switch if you are not happy with the choice you made.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Making the decision of where you will go to exercise is a very important step in reaching your goals of fitness. A lot of factors will go into this decision, and each one should be evaluated well before you start exercising. Once you have made a decision on where you will go to exercise, you can move on to deciding how you plan to work out.
As you probably know, exercising at home has many advantages. The finance factor is one of the best advantages. With the gas prices being what they are today, it is quite obvious that you will save money on fuel as well as wear and tear on your vehicle by choosing to exercise at home.
Memberships to a gym can often be quite expensive and may include other things that you do not need such as child care or swimming pools. You also won't need to be concerned about the latest trends of exercise gear as you most likely will be exercising by yourself at home.
Keep in mind that working out at home does require a bit of financial obligation. Even though you may plan to run, it is very important that you have high quality running shoes. This statement applies to any type of equipment that you may purchase to use at home. If you go out and buy cheap equipment, you will probably end up getting hurt or getting frustrated because you are not making any progress.
Along with the financial gains, exercising at home may also help those who do not like to work out in public. If you are worried about how you look in gym clothes, it is very comforting to know that the only person who has to be with you when you exercise at home is you. Also, when you exercise at home, you do not need to worry about time at all.
Those of you who are motivated by being with people you know or come to know while working out away from home, a gym may be a better idea than working out at home. At the gym, you will also more of a selection of equipment as well, far more than you will have at home.
Gyms will also offer you classes that you may find very motivating. If you attend class on a regular basis, you may be motivated enough to continue so you do not have to defend yourself when asked where you have been or what you have been doing. You can also meet new people in class, or just help others along if you choose.
If you need other services than just weights and equipment, the gym may have just what you need. If you plan to swim a triathlon, you will find the swimming pool at the gym to be just what you need to prepare yourself. Swimming is also a great exercise for your body and cardio, as it will work muscles in your body that you probably did not even know you had.
All in all, making the choice of exercising at home or at the gym is a choice you should make based on your goals and personal preference. The most important decision you will need to make is to determine what type of environment you want to be in and how you want to accomplish the fitness goals in your life.
Once you have given it some thought and weighed out the pros and cons, you will have no problem making the choice. Always keep in mind that once you have made your choice, you can always switch if you are not happy with the choice you made.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Exercising Properly
There are two main types of exercise that you can do - aerobic and anaerobic. The first one, aerobic, means with oxygen. Aerobic type exercise has an important distinction; it burns fat as the main fuel.
Anaerobic on the other hand, burns sugar as the main source of fuel. Despite common myths, exercise does not have to be drastic in any way to provide massive benefits. Even if you choose light exercise, you will still burn fat.
Light exercise will clear out lactic acid, which is a waste of the body, and stimulate your cells to regenerate. To be sure that you are burning fat rather than sugar, it is very important to make sure that you are doing several things as you exercise.
The most important thing you can do as you exercise is breathe deep. You should always breathe in deep into your stomach through your nose; hold it for a few seconds and then exhale hard through your mouth.
Second, you should make sure that you exercise at a comfortable level. You should exercise at a level of 7 out of 10, and still be able to carry on a normal conversation while you exercise. You should do this for 45 minutes or so each day, then you will begin to notice just how much your energy will explode.
Even if you do not think you have the time to exercise, rest assured that there is always time. If you have to, use the time that you would normally spend sleeping. With exercising, you will actually need less sleep than before.
You can also use the time of your lunch break to exercise as well. The increase in productivity will have you more on the ball, and you can save your time through the dramatic increase in your overall productivity.
Cellularise, or rebounding, is one of the best forms of aerobic exercise there is. If you have access to a rebounder, you should not hesitate to use it. Use any break you have at work to engage in some type of movement and deep breathing.
Any type of exercise you do will strongly benefit your heart. It will make it a stronger and larger organ. Deep breathing will help your lungs become stronger and larger as well. There is research now that links exercise to helping benefit and almost prevent each and every type of disease or ailment.
Movement of the joints will promote proper blood flow and create energy, as sitting down all day will rob your body of much needed energy. If you sit down all day, it is very important that you promote blood flow, circulation, energy, brain flow, and the strength of your heart. With just a little bit of your time devoted to exercise, you'll find yourself healthier than you have ever been in the past.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Anaerobic on the other hand, burns sugar as the main source of fuel. Despite common myths, exercise does not have to be drastic in any way to provide massive benefits. Even if you choose light exercise, you will still burn fat.
Light exercise will clear out lactic acid, which is a waste of the body, and stimulate your cells to regenerate. To be sure that you are burning fat rather than sugar, it is very important to make sure that you are doing several things as you exercise.
The most important thing you can do as you exercise is breathe deep. You should always breathe in deep into your stomach through your nose; hold it for a few seconds and then exhale hard through your mouth.
Second, you should make sure that you exercise at a comfortable level. You should exercise at a level of 7 out of 10, and still be able to carry on a normal conversation while you exercise. You should do this for 45 minutes or so each day, then you will begin to notice just how much your energy will explode.
Even if you do not think you have the time to exercise, rest assured that there is always time. If you have to, use the time that you would normally spend sleeping. With exercising, you will actually need less sleep than before.
You can also use the time of your lunch break to exercise as well. The increase in productivity will have you more on the ball, and you can save your time through the dramatic increase in your overall productivity.
Cellularise, or rebounding, is one of the best forms of aerobic exercise there is. If you have access to a rebounder, you should not hesitate to use it. Use any break you have at work to engage in some type of movement and deep breathing.
Any type of exercise you do will strongly benefit your heart. It will make it a stronger and larger organ. Deep breathing will help your lungs become stronger and larger as well. There is research now that links exercise to helping benefit and almost prevent each and every type of disease or ailment.
Movement of the joints will promote proper blood flow and create energy, as sitting down all day will rob your body of much needed energy. If you sit down all day, it is very important that you promote blood flow, circulation, energy, brain flow, and the strength of your heart. With just a little bit of your time devoted to exercise, you'll find yourself healthier than you have ever been in the past.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Dynamic Yoga – Exercise 3 & 4
POSE OF THE MOON (Shashankasa)
Sit on your knees with palms on thighs. Close eyes and relax, but keep spine and head straight.
Inhale deeply and lift arms above head, keeping them straight and shoulder-width apart. As you breathe out, bend forward from the hips, keeping arms and head in a straight line. Hands and forehead should eventually rest on the floor in front of your knees. Bend your elbows, so that arms are fully relaxed and hold for five seconds.
Then breathe in and slowly raise arms and body back to the upright position.
Exhale and return your palms to the top of your thighs. Repeat 3-5 times.
MOUNTAIN POSE (Parvatasana)
Strengthens nerves and muscles in the arms and legs, and stimulates the circulation in the upper spine.
Kneel on raised heels and stretch your arms forward so your forehead is on the floor. Breathe deeply and relax for a few seconds. Raise yourself on to your hands and knees, keeping your toes tucked under and your back flat.
Inhale and push up onto your toes. Raise your buttocks and lower your head between your arms. Your back and legs should form two sides of a triangle.
Exhale, rest your feet on the floor and try to touch the floor with the top of your head. Hold the position for 10 seconds.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Sit on your knees with palms on thighs. Close eyes and relax, but keep spine and head straight.
Inhale deeply and lift arms above head, keeping them straight and shoulder-width apart. As you breathe out, bend forward from the hips, keeping arms and head in a straight line. Hands and forehead should eventually rest on the floor in front of your knees. Bend your elbows, so that arms are fully relaxed and hold for five seconds.
Then breathe in and slowly raise arms and body back to the upright position.
Exhale and return your palms to the top of your thighs. Repeat 3-5 times.
MOUNTAIN POSE (Parvatasana)
Strengthens nerves and muscles in the arms and legs, and stimulates the circulation in the upper spine.
Kneel on raised heels and stretch your arms forward so your forehead is on the floor. Breathe deeply and relax for a few seconds. Raise yourself on to your hands and knees, keeping your toes tucked under and your back flat.
Inhale and push up onto your toes. Raise your buttocks and lower your head between your arms. Your back and legs should form two sides of a triangle.
Exhale, rest your feet on the floor and try to touch the floor with the top of your head. Hold the position for 10 seconds.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Dynamic Yoga – Exercise 1 & 2
SWAYING PALM TREE POSE (Tiryaka Tadasana)
Streamlines the waist and develops balance. Stand with feet 8 inch apart and fix eyes on a point directly in front of you. Interlock fingers and turn palms outward. Inhale deeply as you raise arms over your head. As you breathe out, bend from your waist to your left side, taking care not to reach forwards or backwards. Hold for a few seconds, then inhale deeply and slowly return to the upright position.
Repeat 5 times to each side.
CAT-STRETCH POSE (Marjari-asana)
Kneel and lean forward to place hands on floor below your shoulders, fingers facing forward, hands in line with knees. Arms and thighs should be at right angles to the floor; knees may be slightly separated.
Inhale deeply, raise head and drop spine so your back is concave. Fill your lungs and hold for three seconds. As you exhale, lower your head and stretch your spine upwards. At the end of the breath, pull in your buttocks, contract stomach muscles and place head between arms.
Repeat 5 times.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
Streamlines the waist and develops balance. Stand with feet 8 inch apart and fix eyes on a point directly in front of you. Interlock fingers and turn palms outward. Inhale deeply as you raise arms over your head. As you breathe out, bend from your waist to your left side, taking care not to reach forwards or backwards. Hold for a few seconds, then inhale deeply and slowly return to the upright position.
Repeat 5 times to each side.
CAT-STRETCH POSE (Marjari-asana)
Kneel and lean forward to place hands on floor below your shoulders, fingers facing forward, hands in line with knees. Arms and thighs should be at right angles to the floor; knees may be slightly separated.
Inhale deeply, raise head and drop spine so your back is concave. Fill your lungs and hold for three seconds. As you exhale, lower your head and stretch your spine upwards. At the end of the breath, pull in your buttocks, contract stomach muscles and place head between arms.
Repeat 5 times.
(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)
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