Sandi Rubio’s Fitness Advice

10 TIPS TO GET YOUR WORKOUTS BACK ON TRACK!

Now that summer is over it is time to get back on track and create your personal fitness schedule of success.  I want to reiterate the word “schedule”.  You must schedule it or it will never happen consistently.  Here are a few tips to help you get started and get results!!

1. If you can become a morning exerciser – work out in the mornings before your day really begins.  AM exercisers are notorious for their dedication and consistency.  Once you get used to getting up, it is rare to have any other distractions at 5:45am.  (It really helps to have an exercise partner at this time in the morning as well.  You are more likely not to sleep in and blow it off if you are meeting someone)
2. Only schedule your workouts for 3 to 4 days maximum per week.  You can always do more, but limiting the commitment to 3 to 4 days makes it more attainable and realistic.
3. Limit your workouts to 30-40 minutes. Though the tendency of some people who really want to get a lot out of their workouts is to spend a lot of time at the gym, the truth is that after 30 or 40 minutes, the benefit isn’t as great. To go that long, you’d have to lower the intensity of the workout, and that means that you’re spending too much time working out. It’s better to work out at a higher intensity for a shorter amount of time. (Unless of course you are doing a group class or working with a trainer which usually lasts an hour)
4. High-intensity workouts. If you’re just starting out with exercise, it’s best to take it slow. If you’re running or cycling, for example, build up your endurance for at least a month before you get into anything more intense. That means going at a rate where you can easily talk without being out of breath. However, once you have that base of endurance, step up the intensity to step up the effectiveness of the workout.  Even if you are a walker, you need to pick up the pace and start going up hills.
5. Compound exercises. If you are lifting weights, instead of isolating your muscles with exercises such as the bicep curl, you can maximize the time you spend in a workout by doing exercises that work out multiple muscle groups at once. With just a few exercises, you could get a full-body workout in half the time. Another benefit is that your muscles are working together as they do in the real world, rather than alone. Some great compound exercises include biceps/squats, good mornings, lunges/shoulder press, pushups/burpes, chest press/leg lifts, one arm rows while in a static lunge position, pull-ups, dips, and more.
6. Balance lifting. Instead of having exercises where you’re sitting down or holding on to something or otherwise stabilized, it’s more effective to do them standing up, or on one leg, or on a Swiss exercise ball. These types of exercises force you to balance yourself while lifting, which brings your core muscles into play. This gives you a stronger overall body and allows you to lift more over time.
7. Mix it up. Don’t stick to the same workout routine for too long, or your body will adjust to the stress level and you won’t be getting an effective workout. For strength training, change your routine every month.  For cardio, it’s best to cross train rather than, say, to run 3x times a week for 3 miles.  Even if you only want to use running for cardio you can do longer mileage, hills or sprints workouts as well.
8. Hills. If you run or bike or walk for cardio, you’ll want to incorporate hills (after the first month or two of doing it at an easy pace on flat ground). These will make you stronger and make your limited workout time even more effective. Take them easy at first, but once you’re used to hills, you can get a good pace going. Either use a hilly route or do repeats on one hill. Give Camel’s Back a try.  4 times up that monster and you have probably rolled two workouts into one!
9. Water. Be sure to hydrate throughout the day. It takes a couple of hours for your body to absorb the water, so you can’t just drink right before exercise. Make it a habit to drink water regularly throughout the day everyday.
10. Mind/Body. Make sure to have at least one Mind/Body more therapeutic type of workout scheduled in your 3 to 4 day routine.  Yoga, Pilates of course come to mind but those types of activities aren’t for everyone.  Leisurely hiking or walking in the outdoors is a good alternative.  Also swimming can be very therapeutic.  Give yourself one slower paced mellow workout that you can look forward to and you know will not make you sore.

Good luck!!

By: Sandi Rubio

Sandi specializes in working with Buyers, with a focus on Luxury Homes and Investment Properties.  Sandi also teaches Zumba, and other fitness classes around Boise Idaho area.  Email: moc.srekorBteertStnorFnull@idnaS