Exercises

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

If you want that perfect body you have always dreamed of, you will need to exercise! The good news is that exercising does not have to mean boring routines which can soon become tiresome. There are three categories of exercises which will help you to gain that perfect body. When you have some information about each type, you can choose from amongst them to custom-design a home workout to meet your needs and personal preferences. One form of exercise is known as pilates. While pilates have become increasingly popular during the last few years, it is not a modern concept at all. The basic principles of pilates go back as far as World War One, when they were developed in Germany by Joseph Pilate. These exercise routines are great for the overall body, while placing much emphasis on the areas which most people find to be trouble-spots. Whether you are hoping to lose unwanted fat, or develop as much healthy muscle as possible, pilates are an excellent choice for your home workout routine. Your abs, hips, buttocks, and thighs will all benefit from pilates. Your muscles will become stronger, more flexible, and healthier. There are many different exercise routines in the pilates category. Some of the most popular are “the Hundred” and “the Roll-Up,” which will do wonders for your abdominal muscles; and “the Single-Leg Stretch” and “the Double-Leg Stretch,” which will tone your buttocks and hips as well as your abdominal region. Many of the pilates exercises do not require any kind of exercise equipment other than a basic mat. Aerobics is another popular form of exercise. While aerobics routines will assist in toning your muscles, there is a more important reason for including aerobics in your home workout. Aerobics will benefit your entire cardiovascular system. When you are thinking about that perfect body, health is as important as appearance. Adding aerobics exercise to your workout routine will strengthen your heart and your lungs. It will promote better health, as well as making your workout a truly exhilarating experience. Calisthenics may already be familiar to you. You may remember some calisthenics exercises from your school days. However, you may not have known how beneficial they can be in helping you to create the body of your dreams. Whether or not you enjoyed calisthenics as a youngster, they will go a long way in sculpting that perfect body. There are many different calisthenics exercises from which to choose, so you can easily incorporate some of your favorites into your home workout. Some of the most common calisthenics exercises are jumping jacks, abdominal crunches, push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. They will get your blood pumping, and tone and firm your body. It will be fun to see how exercises you learned as a child can be so useful in helping you to create the perfect body you want today. When you have custom-designed the exercise routines you wish to include in your home workout, you are partway to developing the workout which you will do each session. However, there are a couple of other points to consider before your workout regimen is complete. These extra points will make your workouts less stressful on your body. First, regardless of the types of exercises you have chosen, you must begin each session with a warm-up. A brief period of basic stretching and bending will give your body the preparation it needs to be ready for a workout. This little preliminary can make quite a difference. When your body is readied beforehand, the exercising will flow more naturally and smoothly. Second, a cooling-down period should be at the end of every home workout. The same kinds of stretching and bending motions that you used to warm up will help your body to conclude the workout. It will prepare your body for rest. It is not difficult to choose the forms of exercise that are best for you. You can start by thinking about the types of exercise you like the most, and conform them to your specific needs. You can tone the areas which are most in need of attention, or aim for an overall workout which will benefit your entire body. It is important to choose exercises which you will not tire of, so that you will be motivated to do your workout on a regular basis. If you keep your expectations reasonable, and demonstrate self-discipline, you will be pleased with the results. You can begin to see your body’s shape and strength improve within a relatively short period of time. The perfect body you have always wanted can be yours-- and it all starts with custom-designing your own exercise routine.

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Making a Plan

The second mistake many people make when starting a home workout is to not make a plan in advance. They buy expensive equipment which they really do not need, or believe that they must do certain kinds of exercises which they truly dislike. While many make this mistake because they believe that whatever is currently popular is the method they must try, others do not realize that a home workout is meant to be fun! You can avoid both of these mistakes by making a workout plan that is right for you. The first point to consider is what you, yourself, enjoy. If you do not choose routines which you enjoy doing, you might dislike it so much that you quit. You may force yourself to continue doing them, while hating every minute of it. Instead, by focusing on the types of routines which interest you the most, you will be well-motivated each time you do your routines, enjoy them much more, and move closer and closer to your goals. The second point to think about is your own particular needs. While this will be discussed further in later chapters, it is something which you should consider. Is your main priority to develop “six-pack” abs, to change a flabby body into lean muscle, or to gain overall strength? When you address your goals, it will be easier to choose the workout which focuses on these goals. The third point is expense. While you may be thinking of a home workout as a less-costly alternative to joining a gym or hiring a personal trainer, if you are tempted to buy all of the latest home exercise equipment you may be dismayed to find that these costs are even higher. When you decide on the equipment that is necessary for your home workout, you can keep the expense at a minimum. You may even decide that you do not need to purchase any equipment at all. There is another, equally-important reason for making a plan before you begin. Making a plan also gives you control of your home workout experience. If you think about it, this is true about anything worthwhile in life. If you begin something without first putting some careful thought into planning, you can end up with an entire course of action that is not suitable for you. You may feel overwhelmed, exhausted, discouraged, and confused. You might not even be sure if you are making any real progress. Making a plan will eliminate all of these worries and give you the home workout routine that you will love to do on a regular basis. You will be more satisfied with the results, and happier with yourself. How do you go about making a home workout plan? You can begin by setting goals which include reasonable expectations. If you want that perfect body, you can have it-- but you cannot have it overnight! You also cannot have it without work! When you set your goals, and include reasonable expectations about how much work you will need to do and how long it should take for you to see results, this is the foundation of a good plan. A good plan also includes some leeway for error. For example, you may choose a specific exercise, but soon discover that it is not right for you. Even if you give it your best effort, you may find that it causes too much pain or discomfort, or places too much emphasis on a certain part of the body. When you are making your home workout plan, allowing room for error can eliminate frustration. You will not have an unnecessary sense of failure if this is included in your plan. A good plan must be reasonable about the amount of time you can devote to your home workouts. As no one these days has unlimited time, it is important to not commit yourself to working out for many hours each day when you cannot fit such a regimen into your daily schedule. Not only would it make your workouts a burden, it would interfere with the rest of your day’s priorities. You would end up too tired to do your job, or to enjoy quality time with your family. However, you also cannot afford to make your home workouts the lowest subject on your priority list. Logically, if you do a workout only when you feel like it, or only when it is convenient, you will not obtain the results you want. Your plan should reflect the amount of time you can put into your workouts on a regular basis, and make a point of adhering to it. No matter how busy your life may be, you can make an appropriate amount of time for your workouts. One way to do this is to assess your everyday schedule, and decide on the best time for your workouts. Whether this means getting up a little earlier so that you can work out before you go to school or to your job, or using half of your lunch hour to work out, it should be easy to fit your workouts into your schedule without disrupting your everyday life. Making an advance plan will keep the chaos, confusion, and frustration out of your home workouts. You will know what you need to do, and when you need to do it. You will have a general idea of what kind of results you can expect to see, and how long it will take before they occur. When you add all of these factors together, your home workout will be something for you to look forward to, each and every time!

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What You Must Do First and Why

There is one common mistake which many people make when they decide to improve their bodies. This mistake is to not begin with adequate preparation. The first, and most essential, step in preparing to embark on a home workout program is to have a complete health clearance from your physician.

The most important reason for this is you may have a medical problem which you do not know exists. There are many health conditions which can worsen from strenuous exercise; there are some which can even be fatal. While you want to work toward that perfect body, you surely do not want to take unnecessary chances with your health or your life.

An evaluation from your physician will allow you to see if you have any extraordinary risk factors. This kind of check-up, which will take very little time or cost, is well worth the benefits. A clean bill of health will give you peace of mind-- and the go-ahead for your home workout.

The second reason is to find out whether you have any special limitations. For example, you may have had sprains or other types of injuries in the past. These can affect choosing the home workout that is right for you. Your doctor may advise you to modify certain kinds of exercise, or to avoid them altogether.

Visiting your physician before you begin a home workout regimen is necessary. If you have any health or medical problems, they need to be addressed before you start a home workout. Anything from a prior injury to an unknown heart condition can prevent you from getting the results you want from your workout. They can cause setbacks, and even disaster. A few minutes of your time beforehand can prevent all of this.

The best kind of evaluation is a complete evaluation. If you have not made routine exams a part of your general lifestyle, now is a good time to start. When you are serious about beginning a home workout regimen, you probably already know that it will affect your body. Whether you have exercised before or not, making a home workout a part of your everyday life will place stress and strain on your body. It will affect your muscles, your joints, your blood pressure, and every other part of your system. Your body will be working much harder than it ever did before, to move in the direction of your goals. This is why you need to know in advance that your body is ready for the task. It will help your workouts to proceed more smoothly, and without any unnecessary risks to your health.

A home workout is an exciting adventure. However, in addition to the effects it will have on your body, it will also affect your mind. From the increased blood flow which occurs during workouts, to the change in your blood-sugar levels, the physical benefits of exercise can affect your mood, spirits, and disposition. In order to ensure that these changes are positive, and you gain as much from them as possible, you need to be prepared by knowing that you are healthy.

Many people have sustained permanent injuries, and worse, solely due to not being aware of medical problems or limiting conditions prior to starting a regimen of strenuous exercise. Others have become overwhelmed and discouraged, leading them to quit before seeing any positive results. Still others have given up, because they simply did not know what to expect from their new venture. In most cases, all of these repercussions can be avoided.

You want your new home workout routine to produce great results. You want the perfect body that you may have been dreaming of for many years. You want it all to come in the healthiest, safest, and most enjoyable manner, without any unnecessary risks or setbacks. Getting a complete evaluation from your doctor before you choose any exercise or purchase any equipment is the best way to make your home workout routine a positive experience.

When you know that you are healthy, and without any risk factors, you will have a double benefit. First, you can take on the workout routines of your choice without undue risk to your health; and second, you will have the peace of mind from knowing that your new venture is safe for you.

In the interest of your health and safety, make an appointment to see your doctor before you begin your new home workout. Not only is this the most sensible step, it will do wonders for your self-confidence. When you know that you are physically prepared for the home workout routines which you are about to begin, you can look forward to one of the best and most exciting experiences of your life

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