Today's sedentary lifestyles have adversely affected waistlines of many people. Even though costs of gym memberships, trainers and fitness books can make weight management an expensive endeavor, there are free, simple and effective ways of implementing necessary fitness strategies for weight loss. Follow these easy-to-follow steps for a workout program that will keep you healthy and safe on your journey towards weight loss.
Flexibility First
Often overlooked and underappreciated, establishing proper flexibility will begin the process of weight loss in two crucial ways. By ensuring that movements and exercises are done through their entire range of motion, each exercise will activate more muscles, burn more calories and thus create better results. Establishing proper flexibility will also help to prevent workout-related injuries that can put a harsh stop to weight loss efforts. According to Bill White, an athletic trainer based in Michigan, make sure to use a combination of foam rolling and stretching techniques to maximize flexibility.
Focus on the muscles of the hips, calves, chest, lats and thoracic spine.
Smart Core Training
While there is nothing wrong with working the abdominals, you should pay close attention to your exercise choices. Crunches and sit-ups are on their way out the door. According to the Journal of Sports Rehabilitation, though these exercises may activate significant abdominal muscles, they do so by flexing the spine forward. This can lead to degenerative back issues. Instead, utilize core exercises that activate more muscles and prevent potential harmful spinal bending.
Try these core exercises: Prone plank, side plank, and bird dog.
Build Muscle
Strength training is an essential part of building an effective weight loss program. It's the "meat-and-potatoes" portion of most workouts. Building a base of lean muscle will naturally increase metabolic rates and make weight management easier. Remember to pick exercises that activate multiple muscle groups and move multiple joints. This means push ups are a better option than triceps extensions or chest flys.
Key muscle building exercises: Squat, deadlift, pull up, bench press, cable row.
Anaerobic Cardio
Forget running on a treadmill for 40 minutes . Not only is that an inefficient use of time, it is also ineffective for weight loss. According to fitness expert Alwyn Cosgrove, anaerobic cardio training trumps aerobic cardio in terms of effectiveness for fat loss. These types of anaerobic intervals are also much less time-consuming than traditional methods of cardio.
Effective cardio training: Sprint and jog intervals that consist of 30 seconds of sprinting followed immediately by 1 minute of jogging or walking. Repeat the cycle for six to 12 minutes, depending on your fitness level.
Diet
Everyone has heard it over and over again. You cannot out-train a poor diet. Regardless of the intensity or effectiveness of your workout, poor eating habits will flatline nearly every fitness goal. Think twice before "rewarding" yourself with a cupcake after an intense workout. Stick to real foods that don't come with labels, ingredient lists, or packages.
Key foods: Lean meat, vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruit.
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