How to make the right exercise

All of you know it, it´s the start into a new year: most of us search for our old gymmembership card or bought new sporting equipment to facilitate our new years resolution. We all want to get some exercise done and when better to start then after the holidays? Yet when we reach February most of us have already given up. So what are the best lifehacks most people miss out on?

20 minutes can be enough

If you are anything like me, you would think that more and longer workouts are better. This is however not always the case. Scientific research in this area shows that three moments of intense interval training per week is the most efficient way to work on your cardio. It won’t cost you more then 60 minutes per week to get fit! So starting off with having 20 minutes of interval training would do great things fiscal condition.

What is interval training?

This is an explosive workout method. You give it all you got for one minute. After the sprint you take a slow pace for one minute. And then you go at it again. You do this for 20 minutes of total time. It’s tough but won’t cost you much time and gives great results. If you are still unclear on how this works, or if you would like to time your exercises, you could download an app for your smartphone, there are many available for this kind of training.

Which type of exercise is right for you

If you don’t enjoy your workout it will be very hard to keep doing it. I for myself like riding bikes and have made bicycling my cardio of choice. What will be yours?

Lets compare some forms of cardio.

Running

Running is one of the best exercise methods out there. It is cheap, you can do it anywhere and the human body evolved to run well. Getting up on your feet and starting to run is the most natural way to start sporting. But it is not without risk, running is high impact! It puts a big strain on your joints, especially if you are overweight. An inexperienced runner, especially one without proper technique or running on a difficult surface, has very high risk of injury.

If you are still determined to go running, make sure you are well equipped. Choose a good surface to run on. Buy some good shoes and go read up on running. There is more to it then just going out the door and starting to run.

Cycling

Bicycle sales across the globe are booming. And with good reason. It is an excellent low impact sport for everyone. No matter your age or shape. It puts no big tensions on your joints and there aren’t shocks that need to be absorbed like with running. Aside from falling over there aren’t much ways to injure yourself when cycling. And to deal with the falling, wearing a helmet comes highly recommended. The only downside compared to running are the starting costs. A bicycle is generally a lot more expensive then a pair of good running shoes.

Rowing

An excellent choice for cardio. It gets most muscles in your body moving and is low impact! Most gym’s have good selection of indoor rowing machines. And for some of us it will even be possible to do this outside, which makes for a spectacular way to get in shape.

But before you start rowing, make sure you have the technique right. Rowing is very safe as long as you use correct form. A wrong technique will ruin your back. The best way to learn it is to ask a fitness instructor to explain it and help you get it right. If you are still unsure you can always head to Youtube and find an instructional video.

Start lifting!

Are you motivated enough to go the extra mile? Do you want to get your body in shape harder, better, faster and stronger? Then start lifting weights! Don’t worry you wont become a bodybuilder type. Beginners are often concerned that they will grow to much visible muscle. Without an insane training schedule and years of training that simply won’t happen. But toning up a bit hasn’t hurt anyone. In fact, it has helped many people lose weight! Having more muscles will let you burn more fat during your cardio workouts. It will even make you burn more calories during your normal day! As with other exercises, make sure you have your technique down before you start.

Be safe!

If you are just starting up your athletic abilities you need to do so carefully. Without proper technique and preperation you will risk injury which will nip your resolution in the bud. It wont take you much time to find some Youtube clips of proper technique and it will help reduce the risk of injuries. Consult an instructor at a gym, or your physician before you throw yourself into the deep.

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