Going to gyms and fitness centers is now the “it” activity of this decade. Many people who are weight conscious go to the gym to keep their bodies fit. Others who just want to go with whatever is popular also go to the gym perhaps not just to be fit but to “fit in” as well. There are also exercise machines and equipment being promoted on home television shopping channels, on the internet, in billboards and in magazines. These are machines that you can use to exercise as if you are in the gym while actually enjoying the privacy of your own home.
You are reading this because chances are you are also planning to do exercises to improve your health. While that is also the general objective of most people who go to gyms or buy exercise equipment, what is the assurance that what you are really getting from these are healthy exercises? Here are some tips to guide you so that what ever exercise you will perform will be healthy and safe.
All exercises must be preceded by warm up exercises. These are meant to prepare the muscles for the stress that it is supposed to receive during the course of the exercise. Without these you are making yourself prone to injuries. Just as athletes do warm up routines before any game, everyone who will do exercises should also do warm up. Aside from preparing the muscles, warm up also preps you up so you can perform more actively.
If you are performing an exercise especially those that involve weights for the first time, try it out by initially using the lightest weight. For example you are doing the bench press, try doing the steps with just the bar. Put weights only after you have gotten used with the motions already. Make sure that you know the right positions and angles of arms before to go into heavy actions. Again this is to prevent injuries.
Avoid using weights beyond your limit. Though there will come a time as you progress that you can and you will add weight to what you are lifting, make sure that you add gradually. Do not right at once jump from something light to a really heavy one.
Always follow the set number of sets and repetitions for each exercise that you will do. You might think that increasing the number of sets or repetitions will do you good. The truth is that it is not always the case. Anything beyond normal can be harmful.
Your body also needs a rest period. You cannot just do one exercise after another unless of course you are doing circuit training. Allow your muscles to rest for a short while before you jump in to the next one.
Lastly, never forget to have somebody to spot you when you lift weights. There must be someone to help in case something happens with what you are lifting. Tough you may be used to lifting a given load, you can never tell when accidents will come in.
Healthy exercises are not done hastily. They are not like magic that will give you your desired result in a snap of a finger. Rushing things will not work. For exercises to work effectively you need to do them the proper way.
