August 2007 - Posts
By Jay Blahnik
Going to the gym is one of the best ways to stay in shape. You can take an exercise class, use the cardio equipment, lift weights, swim, even shoot some hoops! But it is also easy to waste time, and if you are not careful, you can even hurt yourself.
By avoiding the three most common gym mistakes, you can drastically improve your results and make your workouts more enjoyable.
Mistake #1: No warm-up or cool-down
Jumping into your workout routine without a proper warm-up or finishing without a proper cool-down is a surefire way to set yourself up for acute injuries during the workout or chronic injuries over time.
The best warm-up is to simply do an easier version of whatever your full workout is going to be. For example, if you are going for a run on the treadmill, start first by walking, then jogging and then move into your full running pace. Or, if you are doing a strength-training workout, do your first set of each exercise with lighter weights, do your second set with heavier weights and your third set with your heaviest weights for that exercise.
Your body responds best (and you reduce your risk of injury) when you build intensity slowly rather than quickly. So always leave yourself a few extra moments for warming up.
The best cool-down involves moving from higher-intensity exercise to lower-intensity exercise. But it also includes doing stretches for the muscles that you used during the workout, and also stretching muscles that are tight or shortened during the day. For example, if you just did an elliptical workout, it is a good idea to stretch your leg muscles (quads, hamstrings and glutes), but it is also a good idea to do stretches for your chest (which can help correct posture issues from sitting at a desk all day) and some gentle trunk twists (to increase oxygen supply to your back and spine).
The goal of your cool-down is to give your working and tighter, shorter muscles an opportunity to “release.”
CONTINUED >>
By Kathy Kaehler
If you’re past your 20s, you’ve probably noticed that your body isn’t as easy to maintain as it used to be. That extra slice of pizza may be more likely to hit your middle, and your muscles may not recover as quickly as they once did.
No doubt: As we age, our bodies slow down. We start to lose bone and muscle and we gain weight that becomes incredibly stubborn to lose.
But take heart, you can fight flab – and aging – in as little as a couple of hours a week.
How? By strength training.
Not only does it help keep you bones strong and fight osteoporosis, but it also helps keep your muscles fit and your waistline trim.
CONTINUED >>
