Create healthy lifelong habits
1. Train functionally
Get away from those fixed-weight machines and use Swiss balls, free weights, cable machines, and your own body weight, instead. Not only will you use more muscles this way, but you could also end up spending less time in the gym – and realize that you can do some resistance training anywhere, anytime.
2. Stretch more
Most people concentrate on strength or endurance without considering that stretching is also an important part of a well-rounded fitness routine. Stretching may help improve your flexibility, which in turn may improve your athletic performance and decrease your risk of injury. It's a good idea to tack it onto the end of your normal workout when your muscles are warm.
3. Less can be more
Some people spend a lot more than an hour in the gym or try to cram too much into each session. It's about training smarter, not longer. By incorporating high-intensity interval training into your cardio or resistance program you can knock your workout over in 30 minutes or less, leaving more time for family, friends, and other activities.
4. Focus on breathing exercises
Get out of that chair and focus on correct posture and relaxed, diaphragmatic breaths, which will combat aches and pains and also serves as an escape route from a stressful day.
5. Avoid over-training
Do too much of the same thing, or work the same body parts, over and over again and you could become over-trained. Instead, it's best to change it up regularly by varying your training over the week. And don't forget to alter your routines regularly so your body doesn't get used to doing the same exercises. Vary your training program with weights and consider how the regular exercise you’re doing is making you feel, not just whether or not it’s changing how you look.
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