Exercise As Power Source

In this day and age it can be very difficult indeed to get to the gym.  Life is very hectic and busy, which can create a serious challenge for remaining  consistent in exercising each day.  Exercise is however, just what we all need to reduce stress, and give the body the extra energy it needs to carry out your normal daily activities.

Image via WikipediaThe best results of exercise are achieved through the use of refined techniques, functional exercises, cardio, the right nutrition, variety, awareness,  consistency, and motivation over a period of time.
The refined techniques mean correct form to isolate muscles or to target areas of the body.  Efficiency is needed to ensure correct (and non-harmful) stimulation of the muscles.  With weight lifting, which is also known as  resistance training, you’ll need to eliminate excess momentum.

It is also important to move the weight through a full range of motion.  Full range of motion causes the muscle to contract for the right amount of time and helps to ensure the right length of the tendons. The goal here is to strengthen the joints of your body by stimulating the muscles.

Cadence is also helpful. This is a term which refers to the rate in which the resistance or the weight moves.  The best results with cadence are gained by SLOW movements which will cause the muscle to contract for a longer period of time.  You can mix it up with a series of fast and slow cadence, which is very beneficial for sports type training.

Using the correct angles will achieve muscle isolation in target areas and help to decrease the risk of injuries, which is very important for those using heavy weights.

Functional type exercise is a popular technique that will stimulate the core and torso of your body while you work on another muscle group at the same time (typical of the types of movement you experience in your “functional” daily life, when you are normally not using one set of muscles in isolation from the others).
As an example, when you perform a dumbbell press while lying on an exercise ball. Your abdominal muscles and the core muscles will contract to hold your body into this position, while your chest and tricep muscles will push the dumbbells up.  This type of exercise and challenge will cause maximum stimulation to your body and keep the workout interesting and refreshing.  (This is why I love yoga, which utilizes all muscles in the body together at the same time!)

Cardio is another type of exercise that can be great for the heart and lungs, when done properly.  The total number of calories you burn is very important along with maintaining the right heart rate.  The formula for your  heart rate is 220 minus your age times 60 for the lower number, then 220 minus your age and times 80 for the upper number.

This is also known as fat burning zone.  Cardio will also de-toxify the body and help to strengthen the immune system along with other benefits.  The muscles will contract and pass the lymph along, which will allow the immune system to clear away dead cells and bring new ones in.

You must be careful, however, not to over do it. Working too long at this pace can stress your  heart and other systems, and actually be detrimental to your health, so be careful when doing cardio, and make sure to mix it up with slow weight-bearing exercises, and interval training.

Image by JD’na via FlickrAnytime you exercise, warming up is very important, as it will prepare your body for the more  demanding workout of cardio.  You should always allow 15 – 30 minutes prior to weight lifting and 10 – 15 minutes prior to cardio exercises.  You should also stretch as well, as this will help get the blood flowing through your muscles and get them limber as well.

An ideal schedule for working out is to warm up then follow with cardio.  You can lift weights or do yoga or Pilates on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday then cardio/interval training only on Tuesday and Thursday.

Even though you may think your schedule is simply too busy to maintain a schedule for working out, you’ll find that adding exercise will actually add MORE time, as you’ll have a lot more energy in your normal everyday life, and be able to get more done.  You can think of exercise as the batteries that will help to give your life power.

* Please note: All suggestions and articles on this blog are the opinions of the author or other contributors, and have not been evaluated for safety in your particular situation. One should consult with one’s personal fitness coach or healthcare practitioner before beginning any exercise program, especially if your fitness level is currently low.

Related articles on Types of Exercise:

• Achieve A Slimmer Body Using Toning Equipment (mydecorarticles.com)
• Ask Raphael: Is Warming Up Necessary? (healthnews.ediets.com)
• The 8 Secrets to Ultra-Effective Cardio (diet-blog.com)
• Four Important Types of Exercise (fitness.suite101.com)