The most popular New Year's resolution is to lose weight and get in shape. Sadly, few of them reach them. Staying fit requires a person to stay with it and keep on top of it so you can reach your goal. Read this article to find out more about creating a fitness program that corresponds to your goals.
Crunches shouldn't be all you concentrate on when you're working out abdominal muscles. It's been proven that crunches don't burn much fat; one study even resulted with only one pound burned after 250,000 total crunches! If you only do crunches, you are not fully working your abdominal muscles. Do a variety of abdominal exercises too.
Working out while enjoying your favorite t.v. show can take your mind off the exercise and increase the number of calories you burn in a day. As soon as a commercial comes on, walk around the room or get some work done. Get small hand-held weights and do some light lifting while you are on the couch. If you are creative, you will always be able to find opportunities to exercise.
Create a garden oasis. Many people do not realize the amount of exercise planting a garden involves. You need to dig, weed, and squat down quite a bit. Gardening is only one hobby you can take up to stay in shape.
Start an easy-to-do exercise journal for everyday use. Make a note of which exercises you did, including the inadvertent workouts you were sure to get during the day. Purchase a pedometer, which can keep track of each step you take daily and be sure to include that data as well. This type of written accountability will help you understand your total progress as you move towards your end goal.
Be sure you have a great pair of workout shoes before you start your exercises. Wearing the right kind of shoes is key to getting the most out of your workouts. You could hurt your feet if they are not comfortable while you workout.
When you do begin to lift weights you are going to want to do a lot of reps of lighter weights, this will help your muscle mass increase. Many people think that big muscles come from lifting huge weights, but it actually from working the muscles for longer periods of time. Some of the biggest lifters use this method.
Varying your exercises can boost the benefits your body gets from your workouts. Someone who typically runs daily should switch things up and go with aerobics, using a jump rope or strength training the next day. The different kinds of stress that the different exercises put on the body will yield different results. By having a variety when exercising, the body isn't able to get used to any one exercise. This will keep it in shape while helping it to lose weight.
Motivation is very important in any diet program, and adding the tactile components of seeing and feeling the results can be very motivating. Instead of obsessing about the number on the scale, use some clothes that are a size smaller than your current size to gauge your progress. Put the outfit on once a week so you can see and feel the difference in your weight.
It is possible to become physically fit. It might be hard, but it is not impossible. Most of the things in life worth having taking effort and fitness is no exception. Use everything you learned today to get into shape.