Work hard and work smart. You don’t want to spend hours at the gym, but the time you do spend you want to be extremely efficient to get stronger, leaner and fitter. Many people quit their workout routine because they lack the motivation to continue once they’ve reached their ideal weight or look or because they’ve failed to see the results they had hoped.
The online pharmacy, Pharmica have found 8 ways guaranteed to a successful workout routine:
1. Consistency is key
If you are not consistent with your workouts then you might see your hard efforts and health benefits start to dissipate.
Try not to leave huge gaps in between your workouts because you will lose motivation and not see the results you want.
2. Follow a routine
Plan your routine, whether that is strength training, cardio, interval training. By planning what you’re doing and how long you will do it for will provide structure into your routine so you don’t feel like you’re wasting time at the gym. Try to plan a routine or programme that suits your lifestyle and strength.
3. Set realistic goals
Be specific about what you want to achieve, how many inches do you want to lose from your waist? Make sure these goals are realistic and within reach and factor in the fact that visible results are achieved over the course of several months. You could set smaller goals within your large goals because waiting too long before you think you have accomplished something will demotivate you.
4. Have the right form
Poor form will do more damage than good for your body. You might be targeting unintended muscle groups, cause strain to your ligaments and increase injury. To boost your performance and conserve your energy, it’s important to understand good form when you’re working out. It will reduce the number of injuries, increase mobility, improve posture and overall have better efficiency. Working with a trainer or looking at your form in the mirror will help you monitor your movements and make any corrections if you need to.
5. Work out with a friend
To keep you accountable, work harder and stay motivated, it might be worth working out with a friend. If you get bored easily when exercising, workout out with a friend will make you less likely to burn out and it will be more fun as you can discover different workouts and are less likely to miss workouts.
6. Warm up and cool down
It only takes a few minutes, but it will make all the difference in your workout. Warming up preps your body for exercise, dilates the blood vessels ensuring your muscles are supplied with oxygen and it minimises the stress on your heart because in this time your heart rate gradually increases. Cooling down is just as important. Stretching your muscles while they’re still warm will reduce the build-up of lactic acid which leads to your muscles cramping or stiffening.
7. Watch your body clock
Exercise at a time where you feel you have the most energy. There’s pros and cons to both morning and evening exercising but it is down to personal preference and when you feel like you can get the most out of your workout. Also consider your daily commitments and work schedule to determine the best time to exercise.
8. Do an exercise you enjoy
Exercise should not feel like a chore, but it should be something you enjoy to do. If you don’t like going to the gym, then there is an abundance of other exercises you can do to get fit; swimming, running or even racquet sports are just some other ways you can exercise without having to enter a gym. You can also use exercise equipment like a rebounder for a fun and enjoyable workout. If you enjoy what you do then it will increase your motivation and provide stability into your routine.
