Working out is not just about losing weight, regular exercise is essential to build a healthy lifestyle, and offers mental health benefits to boosted immunity as well as promoting better sleep.
GETTING STARTED
Focus on healthy eating habits. If your goal is to lose weight, working out without eating healthy isn’t enough to keep that weight off. Fueling your body with the right food is even more important than your workout routine to see results fast. Track your food and make nutritional adjustments that work well for you.
For added weight-loss, exercise should become part of your routine. Rather than jogging for 30 minutes on the promenade, aim for five to six different workout sessions and give yourself a mix of cardio, weight training and cross fit. The key to seeing results fast is to really push yourself in every session you do.
Stick to it. Finding a trainer, you love or a routine that you really enjoy will increase the likelihood that you will stick to your fitness goals.
Rest is key. Don’t forget that for your body to function as its best, it is important to reset mentally, physically, and emotionally, so make sure you are having at least one full rest day.
THE WORKOUT
1. Get Running: All you need is a pair of sneakers! If your main goal is to see results on the scale, a light jog isn’t going to do the trick. Instead, crank up the speed on that treadmill or increase the incline. This will force you to burn more energy which in turn, burns more calories.
2. Build Intensity through Weight Training: Often considered one of the best weight-loss techniques, weight training whether with added weights or your body weight alone has been shown to increase the resting metabolic rate. The after burn effect means you’ll continue to burn calories even after you finish working out. It is suggested to incorporate weight training into your routine at least three times a week. Since your body adjusts to repeated moves at the same intensity, these exercises may become less effective over time, so it is important to mix up your routine to keep your body guessing.
3. Interval training: Any form of exercise with alternating periods of high- and low-intensity activity. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is probably the best interval training guide. This type of training keeps your heart rate elevated, which in turn boosts your metabolism which enables you to burn more calories. The more muscles your body uses, the more calories you’re going to burn since those muscles all require energy to work.
4. CrossFit: A fitness program that combines functional movements into a timed workout. Workouts are varied — routines are designed to be short and intense, this includes anything from lunges to kettlebell swings, pull ups, to front squats. Cross fit can seriously improve your body composition through fat loss, increased muscle mass which creates a leaner and tighter body as well as maintaining a healthy metabolism.
GET YOURSELF SOME NEW GEAR
Look forward to hitting the gym with some new sneakers and gym gear….The NIKE store at The Point Shopping Complex is the place to start. The photos are a simple sneak peak as to what’s in store.
You got this!
By – Gabrielle Spiteri
Photos taken at – Fort Fitness
Models – Shaun Galea Lucas & Sarah Spiteri
