Before fitness training, one must give importance to doing warm-up or stretching exercises to prevent accidents or to enhance the output during the training. There are also a number of precautionary measures and tips to serve as guidelines when doing fitness exercises. Here are some of them.

1. To increase your flexibility and to avoid injuries, stretch before and after workout. Almost everyone knows that stretching before workout prevents injuries during the exercises, but only few people know that stretching after workout, when muscles are still warm, can increase flexibility.

2. Hold your stretching position for more than 60 seconds to increase flexibility. While holding your position for 20 seconds is enough for warm ups, holding each position for at least 60 seconds will develop the body’s flexibility.

3. Do not go into a stretching position then immediately return to the relaxed position, and do it repeatedly. This is more appropriately termed as bouncing while in a position. When stretching, hold that position for several seconds, and then slowly relax. You may do this exercise repeatedly this way. Bouncing or forcing yourself into a position during stretching can strain or damage some joints or muscles.

4. Work slowly in increments instead of immediately proceeding to doing the hardest exercise or position.

5. Make sure that you have stretched or warmed up all muscle groups. For some people, even if they have strong bodies, they tend to neglect the neck when working out or stretching. Stretching the neck muscles can be as simple as placing the palm of one’s hand against the front of the head and pushing it. Then, do the same to the sides and the back of the head.

6. Stretch regularly to continually increase your range of movements and your level of flexibility and strength.

7. Workout considering only your capabilities and not of others. Do not force yourself to do exercises that you are not yet capable of just because there are people who can do it. Increase your limits slowly. Listen to your body. There are days when your body may be too tired that you may have to consider reducing your range of motion.

8. Learn to rest. Rest in between sets and stations to make sure that the body has enough time to recover its energy. Also, it is advisable that you don’t work the same muscle groups consecutively for two days. The muscles grow during the period when you rest and not when you are working out.

9. Do aerobic exercises to strengthen your heart. Aerobic exercises are those physical activities that need much oxygen for fuel. This includes cardiovascular exercises such as skipping rope, running or swimming.

10. Music may help you when you want to train for longer periods or to increase your intensity. You can use mp3 players, CD players or lightweight am radio receivers for this. Just make sure that you brought your headset with you so you wouldn’t disturb people who don’t prefer music while exercising.

Apart from preventing injuries and increasing one’s limit, it is also said that stretching is good for a tired body and also for a stressed mind and spirit.

Getting started in a water aerobics class could be the right thing for you any number of reasons. There are so many different types of fitness programs and work out plans but water aerobics has always remained pretty unique. Water aerobics can not only be an amazing workout, it’s safe, and it’s tons of fun!

A Good Start

If you’re new to exercising, think you’re out of shape, and don’t know what to try then water aerobics is a great place to start. This is an activity that lets you go at your own pace and increase your exertion when you’re ready. While the water provides resistance as part of the fitness routine, it also helps to reduce the resistance of gravity and can be used to your benefit while your muscles are still getting stronger.

Weight and Obesity

For some it may be discouraging to embark on a new fitness program when you’re overweight. One of the best things about water aerobics is that about 85% of your body weight is being supported by the water. When you’re working out in this environment, you’re still burning calories, but a lot of stress is being taken off your back and legs so you get the chance to have a full body workout with less discomfort.

Age and Joint Pain

As you get older, arthritis and joint pain may be something that can’t be helped. Trying to maintain a healthy level of physical fitness may become unbearable, but water aerobics is an activity that will cause less inflammation and pain to your joints. Plus, being submerged in the refreshing fluidity of the pool may actual go a long way to help relax some of your aches and pains.

Rehabilitation

Exercising can be a great way to get you back on your feet after an injury, but that can be challenging when you’re already in pain. Water aerobics is an invaluable rehabilitation tool because it can be as low-impact as you make it. You may even just decide to make it part of your fitness regime as a form of injury prevention.

Water aerobics can be right for you whether it’s being done for exercise or just for fun. Many people out there who aren’t strong swimmers may still enjoy water related activities and lucky for them water aerobics can be done in shallow water levels. Whether you choose this form of fitness because of medical reason, age, pregnancy, or just for your love of water, it’s a great way to keep cool and have fun while burning calories.

You may think getting only 30 minutes of physical activity a day can’t benefit you so why bother, right? Wrong! Even if you just do a little bit of light exercise each day you are helping your body immensely! Taking a half hour walk during your lunch break at work rather than sitting in the lunchroom or jumping on an exercise bike while watching TV instead of sitting on the couch can really impact your fitness level.

Personal Health

Probably the number one reason to stay in shape, being healthy is what keeps you alive! A little bit of exercise can go a long way in keeping your heart, lungs, and the rest of your muscles in good working order. Eating healthy and staying active can prevent so many diseases and will improve your quality of life.

Body Image

Your reason for getting into shape doesn’t need to be so you can look like a super model, but achieving a higher level of physical fitness will not only give you the extra tone you may want in certain areas, it will make you feel more attractive. A regular exercise program can help your self-esteem in multiple ways; the sense of accomplishment you can get from seeing what you’re capable of is invaluable and can make you feel like a superstar. On a purely chemical level, the endorphins released when exercising can give you a sense of euphoria. This may be why many people find exercise so addictive!

Mood and Maintaining Stress

For the same reasons your self esteem will be affected, your mood and stress levels will be more manageable as well. Exercise can be a form of stress relief and pounding out a few miles on the pavement is a sure way to get work or money troubles out of your head for at least a little while. A regular exercise program is sure to leave you more relaxed and at ease with yourself.

Mobility

There are three aspects to a good fitness routine: cardio, weight training, and flexibility. Incorporating all three of these into your lifestyle will undoubtedly improve how you feel while walking around, doing household chores, or playing with your kids. If you feel that being able to walk up a few flights of stairs with ease is something worth 30 minutes of your day then figure out the right exercise plan for yourself and give it a try. There’s no handbook to physical fitness, so if you aren’t enjoying a particular activity try something else. All you need to do if move your body a little bit every day and you’ll learn what works for you and what doesn’t.

Hearing that word “exercise” can frighten a lot of people and turn them off the idea of physical fitness. Don’t panic, because the road to good health doesn’t have to be unpleasant! Starting off slow and getting to know what exercise is all about could change your life and be possibly life saving. A few things may be holding you back from a regular exercise routine so take a look at your lifestyle and figure out what you can change to make fitness a part of your life .

Time

In this day and age, most people are too busy to take enough time for themselves. A lot of people are always on the go so trying to add a regular exercise routine into their lives may seem out of the question. Well your personal health is not worth that sacrifice! Taking a walk on your lunch break at work can get you at least 2 and a half hours of exercise a week. Spending time with your family can be turned into that gets everyone out of the house and off the couch for an hour a few times a week. Once you change your routine and get into new habits you’ll discover how easy it is to get in even just a quick workout everyday.

Money

A good work out routine definitely doesn’t have to be costly. Gym memberships can be expensive and buying a whole bunch of new exercise equipment may not be something you want to invest in immediately. You also don’t need to buy yourself a bunch of new supplement and vitamins to get started adding a fitness routine into your schedule. Going for a hike or jog is free and there are strength training exercises you can do from the comfort of your own home with no equipment. You can eat healthy buy just choosing the right food when preparing your meals. Especially when you’re starting off, there isn’t much you’ll need. You may decide to invest in a yoga mat or a few weights down road, but you can decide what you’ll need once you figure out what kind of workout routine works best for you.

Health and Wellbeing

The benefits you’ll get from a healthier lifestyle aren’t limited to just looking better or losing weight. Being in better shape can have a huge affect on your mood and can battle depression. Having a regular exercise routine can also greatly impact your ability to deal with stress. If you’re already feeling down about yourself or need a lifestyle change, make a commitment to get started today! If you haven’t been active much (or at all) in a long while, then it might seem a bit rough at first, but it does not take long to get over that initial hurdle to a place where exercise becomes purely pleasurable. Give physical fitness a chance and you will be opening a door to an invaluable experience.

A regular workout routine is a fantastic way to get into shape. However, when I say “regular routine” that doesn’t mean doing the same thing day in and day out is your best bet. It’s important to change up your routine to “shock” your muscles and to keep the workout interesting for yourself. A stale workout routine could get you in a slump and you may get bored of working out altogether.

Weight training is a great way to add mass and strength; however you may have no interest in that. If that sounds like you then you may need to look again and weight lifting. You don’t need to load up on heavy weights and over strain your self to get the best out of this type of workout. A nice change from your everyday cardio routine could be to go for a quick jog to get your heart rate up, then do some light weights while maintaining a decent heart rate which will encourage continuous weight loss.

Even if you just want to bulk up and lift weights, throwing a bit of cardio into your routine can help with your heart strength and lung capacity. If you’re already an avid aerobic exerciser, don’t think you can’t mix it up by changing your routine a little. If you mainly go just for jogs, try taking a few cardio dance classes and burn calories to a beat. Or if you stick to cycling you could try doing a few laps and see if you can’t just hit a few more muscle groups.

Circuit training or boot camp types of exercise could also be a fun way to liven up your workout. These types of exercise already incorporate variety into their routine. A boot camp style workout may consist of a lot of different calisthenics such as jumping jacks, push-ups, pull-ups, or sit-ups. Circuit training could be a series of weight and cardio stations that alternate between aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

Stretching is something that should be incorporated into any exercise routine whether you’re looking for variety or not. You may decide to use a stretching routine as the main body of your workout with any of the many forms of yoga, or you can use it just for your warm up and cool down periods, but this is one thing that should definitely not be overlooked.

When adjusting your workouts don’t forget you need to progress your difficulty level and increase your intensity. Variation will keep your workout fresh and fun and your body will respond positively to the change in your routine.