The Untold Secrets to Improving your Fitness

You might disagree with me on this but please hear me out "The best and the only exercise program for you is the one you will do!!" The next time you start an exercise program or eating plan take note of the following guidelines and if they don't stack up don't put yourself through the hassle.

You need something to stick to for the rest of your life, never start a program that will set you up to fail. It must be interesting and fun or you will never stick with it.
Below you will find some very interesting fitness tips that will keep you right on track.

Abdominal Training - The safest and most productive way to train the abs is to use the brace and hollow technique. Try standing normally, breathing normally, now suck your stomach in towards your spine and hold, remember to breath normally, hold for seven seconds and release, now do this exercise 10 times.

This is a basic isometric exercise that helps strengthen the abs and the muscular girdle around your waist.

Fast Walking - Research shows that regular, brisk walking is one of the best exercises we can do for overall fitness. It suits people of all ages and fitness levels, it's easy to get started and there's no complicated technique to earn or equipment to buy.

Walking is an excellent way to get fit because it uses nearly all the muscles and, as you have to carry your body weight, its relatively strenuous. It's also safer on the joints and the back than most other forms of exercise because you're not jumping up and down, so the impact is low.

Try Boxing For Fitness - Today, boxing is recognized as a health promoting exercise program that provides a total workout for you're cardiovascular and endurance systems.

The exercises can be done with or without equipment. If you want to buy equipment then a heavy punching bag and boxing mitts available at any sports store for between $50.00 and $100.00.

A good skipping rope can be bought very cheaply also. Other benefits of boxing include, increased stamina, increased strength, speed and coordination and used for reducing aggression. Sports scientists agree that boxing training is one of the best exercises because it conditions the total body.

An additional advantage of boxing is it promotes a persons well being by strengthening self-discipline. Combined with strength training, cardiovascular work it becomes the total package for self-defence and total fitness.

Checking Your Pulse - The best way to measure the effects of an exercise program on your body is to check your pulse. The easiest way to check the pulse is to place your index and middle fingers on your carotid artery or the wrist.

Immediately after the exercise, count your pulse for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. This can also be conducted during the exercise if safely possible. For a more precise reading of a pulse rate purchase an electronic device from any sports store.

Age Adjusted Heart Rate Work - So now you have your exercising pulse rate or heartbeats per minute. Concentrate at the upper end of the 50% - 70% ranges.

To figure this out, deduct your age from 220. Suppose your age is 40, deduct this from 220 and you get 180, 50% of 180 is 90 beats a minute, 60% of 180 is 108 beats a minute, 70% is 126 beats a minute and so on. Don't jump into 70% work straight away.

Start with 50% and slowly work your way up to the 70% upper limit. Start with no more than 10 minutes, and work up to 20 minutes. Having reached 20 minutes at 70% and you are comfortable with that then work to increase the heart rate up to 80%.

Try Active Isolated Stretching (AI) - AI stretching does what stretching is supposed to do, it transports oxygen to sore muscles and quickly removes toxins so recovery is faster.

Finally it also works as a deep massage technique because it activates muscle fibres during the actual stretch. Isolate the muscle or group you want to stretch then contract the muscle opposite. This causes the isolated muscle or group to relax straight away and when it does it is ready to stretch.

Gently and quickly stretch the isolated muscle until it can't be stretched any further; now give yourself a gentle pull with your hands or rope. Go as far as you can and then hold the stretch for no more than 2 seconds then release, do this for a total of 5 repetitions on the isolated muscle or group.

So there you have it, you require a program that is realistic for you now, a program that is time efficient for your time schedule and your life other wise it will not be followed.