This article is a Guest Post.
If you are into fitness, then most likely, you want to get all the benefits associated with it. You want to improve your health by lowering your risk of getting heart disease; you want to lose some weight, help your brain to operate at its optimum level, avoid insomnia, and improve your sexual health. Studies even show that exercise can make you happier and help to get rid of anxiety and depression. However, for you to get the full benefits mentioned and many more, you need to do the right exercises. Otherwise, you would just be wasting your time in the gym or at home.
Below are 9 exercises you should do for better fitness.
1. Squats
Yes, you heard it; squats should be an essential part of your exercise routine. It doesn’t have to be complicated; basic squats will do. Fitness experts recommend squats because they target all the muscles located on the lower part of your body. Also, they help to exercise the main muscles found on your back.
This exercise increases your heart rate which in turn increases the efficiency with which blood and oxygen move to the muscles. This will help you to move around without difficulty and you will become fit.
If you are looking for an exercise that will help you to get rid of body fat and give your lower body a great shape, then squats are the solution.
Don’t be lazy when doing this. Go all the way down when doing squats. You can do this anywhere.
2. Pushups
As basic as pushups are, they give the upper part of your body the strength you need to perform functions such as pushing things or reaching for items. Also, it will help your body to have proper alignment and balance.
The correct way of doing push ups is to ensure your back remains flat when you are moving up and down. You can look at the space in front of you while doing the pushups to help you achieve this.
You can always make pushups more fun. For example, you can try bending your knees when doing this exercise or use one hand and then alternate it with the other one.
3. Lunges
One of the things you will love about lunges is that it has variations. Therefore, don’t worry about getting bored because you can do a walking lunge today, a split squat tomorrow, and reverse lunge on another day.
If you’re thinking of how to exercise your core and muscles such as quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes (found on the lower part of your body), then you should try lunges.
Our days consist of lots of movements that might require you to be in different positions. Lunges help you to improve functional movement and give your legs more strength. Therefore, you’ll be able to make your day to day movements with ease and accomplish your tasks.
4. Walking
Do you know that you can lose 1 pound each week by walking? Well, know you know. As easy as it may seem, it is advisable to start slow. Don’t wake up one day and walk for two hours. Instead, do 5 to 10 minutes then increase the duration as you get used to it.
Walking is one of those exercises that everyone can perform. Additionally, if you are pregnant, you can simply take on long walks in your maternity dress.
5. Planks
Planking is something you can do, whether you are in the gym or at home. All you need is a place to lie down and you are ready to go. Planks do a great job of exercising the muscles in your hips, shoulders, and back. If you are struggling with poor posture, then you need to try planks because they ensure that your body is in a steady line.
When you do other exercises while lying on the floor, the lower part of your back might become painful because the exercises may interfere with the natural curve of your spine. Planks help to correct this because they ensure the spine is in a neutral form. This ensures your lower back is free from pressure. It’s a great way to experience good posture, which is necessary for effectively performing various core exercises. You may also notice that you have a better balance from this exercise.
Please note that it is not necessary to arch your back excessively when planking. Keeping it a little curved is the key to enjoying these benefits.
6. Shoulder press
We all have different fitness goals we want to achieve. That is why not everyone performs the same exercises. If you’re going to give your shoulders more strength and power, then try this exercise. You’ll need barbell or dumbbells.
Shoulder press involves squeezing your abs, and this motion helps to ensure that your spinal column is properly aligned. Therefore, you have lower chances of getting back pain.
As you perform the shoulder press, avoid making your shoulders lock as they go up because it can put unnecessary pressure on your elbow joint.
7. Burpees
If you are looking to burn lots of calories and exercise your whole body, then burpees are the way to go. This exercise targets all the muscles on your body. It also helps to increase your heart rate and improve your muscle strength.
Arm yourself with proper footwear and choose a cushioned place to perform this exercise. This will reduce your chances of developing knee pain, which may come as a result of the impact made when performing this exercise.
8. Situps
You might think there’s nothing special about situps, but they help to exercise your abdominal muscles.
Don’t strain yourself too much if you have issues with the lower part of your back. You can just make sure you lift your upper back and shoulders and not interfere with your lower back.
9. Rotations
We make so many movements in our day to day lives, and these require rotations. When you carry out rotation exercises, you become healthy and stay in good shape for an extended period. You can do this by moving a ball or weight from side to side while having good posture. When you do this while standing, you’re likely to perform it correctly.
You can also use internal and external rotations to do this exercise. The muscles on your shoulder will become strong and this will reduce your chances of getting shoulder injuries.
Rotation exercises can act as a warm-up on days when you are performing shoulder training. The key is to use light weights because you don’t want to put too much pressure on the shoulders.
Final Thoughts
You now have effective exercises you can incorporate into your workout program. You don’t need to perform all of them at once. You can pick an exercise or two depending on what you want to achieve that day or week and then move on to another. Don’t be scared to have fun with them; just make sure you are safe.
This Article is a Guest Post.
