Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

Are you in an exercise rut, or have you hit a fitness plateau? It never hurts to include more ideas into your fitness toolbox. Good tips, along with variety and hard work, will help you achieve your fitness goals. Use these ideas to make your workouts more effective and to augment your fitness plan.







Listen to your body when exercising. A little muscle soreness here and there is quite normal, especially if you have started a new kind of workout. Continuous pain is a different matter altogether. It is your body's way of telling you that you have overdone http://fox2now.com/2016/02/07/arthur-shivers-working-out-as-a-couple-and-proposing/ , and are in danger of injuring yourself, maybe seriously. Rather than self-medicating with aspirin or another type of pain reliever, visit your doctor.



To help you perform your best during your workout, you need to stay hydrated. Losing even one percent of your body weight through sweat can place added stress to your cardiovascular system. Two hours before working out drink at least 16 ounces of water. During your workout drink five to ten ounces every 15 to 20 minutes. When you are finished with your workout drink at least 16 ounces of water for each pound of weight loss due to sweat.



Make an exercise schedule and stick to it, this will improve the results of your overall fitness experience. Sticking to a schedule encourages the habit.



For maximum swim training, focus on increasing your ankle flexibility. Flexible ankles make for more fin-like movements underwater and therefore make you swim much faster. To help your flexibility, sit barefoot on the floor with your legs outstretched and your heels on the floor. Point your toes straight out then back again towards your shins. Do http://www.homefitnesstalk.com/25-best-fitness-blogs-to-follow-in-2016/ for at least 1 minute a day.



Make sure you eat out less, this promotes a healthy body. Eating out at fast food restaurants while exercising essentially beats the purpose of getting fit. You want to make sure you fuel your body with the necessary nutrients it needs and it can use to get the most out of your workouts.






<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3zfzMrUEKJI/Uog9wSblAdI/AAAAAAAAAqc/GH25oi_WmE4/s1600/BMI+Calculator+-+Weight+Loss.jpg" />

The best way to ensure you stick with getting regular exercise is to do things you enjoy doing. Getting an effective workout does not have to mean working out on boring machines like treadmills. Instead, find something you love to do like joining a dance class or riding a bike.



Most people don't realize that regularly performing dead lifts and squats can actually give your abdominal muscles a great workout as well. By performing at least five sets of ten reps each, your body is toned in a way that enhances your natural posture and firms the oblique muscles with no additional effort.



Learn how to stretch your hip muscles. To properly perform squats, your hip muscles need to be loose. If they are not, you will not achieve proper form! Stretch these muscles by grabbing a sturdy towel bar and lowering your bottom almost to the ground several times. Make sure you do this slowly, or you may cause an injury.



Make sure you get plenty of sleep. Sleeping is essential for all life. While you sleep, your body undergoes repairs that it could not normally do while you are awake. Your heart rate is also lowered, and you are in your most relaxed state. This is important when working out.



Do not break the bank on a diet and fitness plan that has not been proven to work. Find the most cost effective diet and fitness plan that will fit into your lifestyle and your needs. Do a great deal of research before joining any diet or fitness club, to be sure that you are not getting ripped off.



If you want to play a sport like tennis or racquetball, you will need to build up your forearm strength. To do this, you could lay a barbell on your arms and bring the weight up slightly and keep doing this until you feel the burn in your forearms.



Focus your stretches on your hamstrings, shoulders, and lower back. These tend to be the least flexible muscles in your entire body, and also the most injury prone, especially for men. Take the time to pay special attention to working them loose, or you may end up with a painful injury.



Keeping fit should be a part of your goals because it will help you to feel better and live a longer, healthier life. By simply drinking more water and exercising regularly, you will be on your way to a healthier lifestyle. Remember the tips in this article so that you can stay fit.