It’s February, and your New Year’s resolutions may have begun to wane a bit — most resolutions last about six weeks after they’re made. So if you want to either make the most of that gym membership or simply move around more to stay healthy, look at some of these suggestions. And consider this: Saying you “don’t have time” usually means you’ve made a choice, conscious or not, to not exercise. Even if it’s just ten minutes a day during the week and two long workouts on the weekend, that will help keep you moving, which will keep you healthier than if you didn’t make the time to do so.
HIIT — If you want a good workout but don’t have an hour each day and want something intense, HIIT, or high intensity interval training, may work for you. HIIT involves alternating short bursts of intense motion with less intense recovery periods, allowing for an efficient workout that yields the same results as jogging on a treadmill for an hour. And by pushing your heart rate up, you’ll get that particular muscle pumping more efficiently in less time. The best part: You don’t even need equipment — intervals can involve running, jumping, high knees, lunges…you choose.
CrossFit — If you’ve ventured onto the Internet at all, you’ve probably stumbled upon at least one CrossFit video or have a friend who swears by it. In simple terms, CrossFit promotes specific and broad physical fitness through strength and conditioning, combining weight lifting, running, and gymnastics. CrossFit probably works best if you’ve already done some sort of sports/physical training and want to boost your workout and challenge yourself; it’s not necessarily the best choice for beginners. You also have to really dedicate specific time to training, so be sure it can fit into your life. CrossFit has also gained some controversy due to intense workouts without a lot of attention to form. Do your research carefully before trying it out (a good rule of thumb for starting any new workout).
Cross-training — Does the thought of doing the same workout for half an hour or even twenty minutes bore you, particularly when you do it for weeks on end? Consider cross-training, a workout where you combine different styles of exercise (running, lifting weights, and boxing, for example) into one session where you do each exercise for a brief amount of time such as 10 or 15 minutes at a higher intensity than if you did just one activity for half an hour. Cross-training also helps prevent injury from overdoing one exercise too much and increases conditioning by making different parts of your body work throughout each work-out.
Walking — No matter your age or your fitness level, the sheer act of walking can improve your health and literally get you moving. A brisk 30-minute walk can burn 200 calories and it’s much easier on your joints than running. And while it won’t quite tone your body like the other workouts mentioned, it will help you slowly but steadily build muscle and help maintain bone density, as well as shed excess weight and improve memory. Walking can be done anywhere and at any speed – on a treadmill, sidewalk, a local track, even around the parking lot of your workplace if necessary. Don’t count it out as a possible choice.
Make 2016 the year in which you improve your health. And remember, to make exercise a habit with lasting results, you have to continue it throughout the year. Good luck!
For more health and wellness strategies, read our related blog posts or reach out to our experienced staffing team at Medical Professionals today.
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