BEST WORKOUT PLANS TO START AT THE NEW YEAR
Having to deal with challenges when it comes to fitness resolutions for the new year is normal. This usually happens because we aim to achieve goals that are too ambitious in nature. An example of this is starting a fitness program with an excessively intense workout plan. A more suitable approach would be to focus on short-term goals which are mapped out against specific breakthrough points throughout the year.
To avoid disruptions to your workout at any time during the year, here are a few long-term workouts for you to start at the new year to build muscle growth and better overall fitness.
Train for Functional Fitness
Daily activities such as performing chores or completion of physical work-related tasks require the use of major muscles in our body. Incorporating a total body strength workout will aid in improving functional fitness. Some of the exercises you can include as part of this workout include push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, planks and leg raises. If you are unable to perform standard repetitions of a certain exercise, start slowly with assisted, negative or simpler substitutes. Once you have mastered the basic form, you can then move forward with more difficult versions of the exercise.
Fusing together a variety of different freestyle equipment exercises will allow you to safely and effectively change the intensity of each movement, depending on your level of fitness. This is a good option to consider if you are just starting out and vying to achieve a lean and toned body as part of your long-term goals.
Learn to Dance
Dance is a form of exercise that is good for your overall health. It is both aerobic and anaerobic in nature, and helps you increase muscle fitness, motor fitness and endurance, build bone strength, improve flexibility, and cardiovascular health.
Line dancing is a low-impact dance form which will enables you to bump up your heart rate and get your body moving. The dance sequences and steps that you learn during this class will help you develop core strength, apart from improving your body’s flexibility and coordination.
Start Running Regularly
Running is a cardio workout that benefits your body in the same way that dancing does. It can also aid in easing stress and relieving symptoms of depression. Some of the ways that you can use to increase your running intensity would be to incorporate trail running, hill climbs and crescendo running (involving a systematic increase in intensity) as part of a routine.
You can improve your running performance using a treadmill in a combination of speed intervals and tempo runs. This will help boost your body’s endurance to help you run for longer. You will also enhance aerobic and anaerobic capacity, and improve your body’s ability to continue running despite experiencing muscle fatigue.
Pick Up Yoga
Yoga is founded upon three elements – exercise, meditation and breathing. Effectively combining these three elements during yoga will strengthen and tone muscles, increase flexibility, improve cardiovascular health, and blood circulation. Yoga incorporates gentle stretches, postures and poses with focused breathing to help you calm your mind.
Joining a high-intensity yoga class will have you moving seamlessly from one pose to another while progressively increasing the intensity of each move or pose. Placing emphasis on breathing technique when posing will provide you with a sense of harmony between mind and body. Staying focused will help you build confidence and stronger mental awareness. Over time, the fast pace and challenging poses will result in better endurance, strength and stamina.
The foundation of a workout plan and regime which is beneficial depends on a periodical increase in intensity over time. This is a great way to keep exercise sessions fresh and ensure that your body is consistently being challenged. As a result, you will be able to reap long-term benefits, thus encouraging you to continue sticking to the same workout plan.
