What Exercise Can Do For You

Exercise can help you get in shape, lose weight and it can be fun. Whether you join a gym or exercise at home, work out at night or during the weekend, this article offers tips to help you squeeze a few hours of fitness into your schedule whenever you can. You should see an amazing difference very quickly, and not only on the scale.

When working out, do not waste your time doing too many crunches. If you find yourself doing more than 3 sets of 15 crunches a workout session, you are wasting your time. Studies have found that doing more than that is completely useless. You are simply wasting valuable energy that could be directed to working out a different part of your body.

To increase your endurance, breathe fully and from your diaphragm when you exercise, particularly when running. This increases your oxygen intake and your lung capacity and lets you exercise longer. If you don’t know how to breathe from your diaphragm, you can lie down and put something on your stomach, then practice making it rise and fall as you inhale and exhale.

A great way to help you get fit is to find a workout buddy. Workout buddies are great because they can lend you motivation when you need it and they can spot you when you’re lifting weights. If you’re going to be lifting heavy weights, a workout partner is strongly recommended.

Want more from your workout sessions? Stretching is great for your body and can improve your strength by 20% or more. After each set of exercise, stretch the muscle you just worked for 20 to 30 seconds. A few minutes of stretching can greatly improve your fitness routine.

Take a day off each week. This will allow your body some much needed rest, but it will also give you a chance to think about something other than fitness for a while. That way, you can return to your fitness program with fresh eyes to see if you’d like to try something different or want to change a few things.

If you apply these tips, you should be able to live a healthier life. Outdoor fitness helps you look great but it also helps you age gracefully and live longer. Consider other healthy habits such as eating better or quitting smoking. Fitness is only the beginning of a journey that will take you to a place where you can love your body.