Category: Exercise

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Fortunately, people recognize the importance of health and fitness in this modern world. Adults are switching to a nutritional diet to escape health problems and lose weight. In contrast, teenagers and young adults are delving into physical fitness. Surprisingly, building muscle strength and losing fat requires a mixture of a healthy diet and a properly structured workout routine. You might replace burgers with green vegetables and meat but starting a workout routine seems a bit challenging.

Enrolling yourself in a workout program with a reputable trainer might seem an easy way out, but it won’t cater to you individually. Every trainer follows a generic workout procedure without considering individual differences and endurance capacities. Surprisingly, with some know-how and understanding, you can start your workout routine. Learn about the principles of balancing factors – exercise selection, frequency, volume, and understand your physical performance.

Whether you want to lose some pounds, improve aesthetic appeal, or build muscle strength – determine your goals. It will help you make an effective workout plan that delivers results. If you are new to the fitness world, let us help you on this journey. Here we are revealing a step by step guide on how to build an effective workout routine.

STEP 1: GATHER RESOURCES FOR YOUR WORKOUT ROUTINE

From dumbbells, equipment, yoga mats, shoes to exercise gear – starting a workout routine needs more than a plan. You have to get all the necessary things beforehand to avoid any interruptions during the workout. Firstly, invest in light-weight shoes to maintain a firm grip and sweat-resistant clothes to let air reach the skin. Similarly, cash in on essential equipment, such as a resistance band, climbing machine, workout bench, etc.

If you don’t have ample space, consider getting a vertical workout machine instead of a traditional stationary bicycle or treadmill. In addition to its compact size, it offers a full-body workout with high-intensity training, giving you a unique cardio experience. Once all tools and resources are available, start planning your training schedule.

STEP 2: SET TRAINING FREQUENCY

How often should you work out? What muscle groups need training? These things boil down to personal preferences and training goals. After all, it is up to you and how much time and days you can spare for a workout. Likewise, the training of muscle groups depends on how your body responds to it. If you encounter severe body pains by working six days a week, consider reducing the training frequency. You can have a workout session three days a week while increasing the time frame. Unsurprisingly, there is no hard and fast rule for setting training frequency. Understand your endurance level, muscle strength, stamina, and set a frequency that doesn’t exhaust the body.

STEP 3: DECIDE TRAINING SPLIT

Next up, you have to customize your workout schedule as per your training preferences and fitness goals. If you are a full-time worker who works behind the computer screen all-day, opt for mobility training in your workout routine. Since you don’t engage in physical activity, it leaves your muscles at the risk of impairment. Mobility exercises and stretches develop bone density while moving joints through their full motion range.

Otherwise, if you want to build muscle strength or burn fat, combine cardio with strength training. It will strengthen your muscles and simultaneously eliminate fat from your lower body. Remember, training split would always be different for every person.

STEP 4: DETERMINE INTENSITY LEVELS

Have you heard of consistency over intensity? In the fitness world, this holds great importance. Usually, people looking forward to a weight-loss journey end up following a hard-core workout routine. Alongside failing to provide results, it leads to chronic injuries and back pains. Therefore, you have to determine the intensity levels before calling the shots. Begin with basic exercises – squats, lunges, jumping jacks, pushups, etc. to help your body adjust to the new fitness levels.

After a few months, you can increase the reps, speed of competition, and exercise volume. If you were doing two sets of 20 mountain climbers, start doing four sets. Likewise, feel free to weigh in your exercise as you make progress. But most importantly, listen to your body. If you don’t see any recovery from pains, scale down the intensity in the next workout.

STEP 5: SWITCH EXERCISES

Undoubtedly, regular workout schedules are quite exhausting, but they don’t have to be boring. Instead of repeating the same exercises in the same pattern every day, bring variations in your workout. If you exercise four days a week, divide the full-body workout into the upper and lower body. It will let you switch between biceps, squats, lunges, and pushups. Moreover, you can devote one day to compound exercises. They train many muscles at once, promote weightlifting, and builds potential for weight potential.

WRAPPING UP YOUR WORKOUT ROUTINE

Believe it or not, designing a workout routine in your capacity is the most acceptable way to begin the fitness journey. In the beginning, workouts might be overwhelming and exhausting, but don’t let this stop you. Prepare a workout plan and ensure consistency by keeping a regular weekly training schedule. You can use a variety of exercises and machines to test multiple muscles and build strength. Once you start seeing the results and improving health conditions, all your efforts will seem meaningful.

Making exercise a permanent part of our routine is an essential aspect of healthy living. Unfortunately, many people who make an effort to do so become bogged down by post-workout recovery aches and pains. The hours and days following an intense workout are usually accompanied by sore muscles and stiff joints, making it challenging to maintain a reliable fitness schedule.

It’s easy to give up, but that option is unacceptable. Instead, men and women ought to find ways to improve their post-workout recovery process. In doing so, they alleviate pain, decrease exhaustion, and reduce the turnaround time needed to get back to exercise as soon as possible.

Here are the fundamentals for getting started:

Stay hydrated

Drinking plenty of water is imperative for getting the most from your workouts. It’s especially true when it comes to the recovery process. Chronic dehydration leads to muscle cramps, mental exhaustion, and a host of other conditions negatively affecting post-exercise recovery. It may also be limiting your stamina and energy levels during the workout itself. Make an effort to drink several glasses of water throughout the day to avoid dehydration during exercise and afterward.

Try CBD

Cannabidiol, often abbreviated to CBD, is an organic compound gaining traction in the health and wellness community for various purposes. Commonly sold as an oil or tincture, CBD is used to reduce inflammation and alleviate pain in the aftermath of high-intensity exercise. Consider incorporating CBD into your post-workout routine. As long as it meets CBD traceability standards, the substance is 100% safe to use and shown to be effective at managing inflammation resulting from intense physical activity. Give it a try to see if it helps improve your post-workout recovery process.

Sleep better

Quality sleep is key to giving your body the chance to properly recover after intense exercise. While it’s easier said than done, correcting any existing sleep disorders or problems with recurring insomnia will have an immediate impact on your post-workout recovery. Eight hours of sleep per night continues to be the gold standard, but the exact amount needed for adequate rest varies from person to person. Focus on consistency; go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. Doing so sets into motion a healthy sleep-wake cycle that’s conducive to successful physical recovery from exercise.

Optimize your protein intake

Much of the post-workout recovery process involves your body working to repair your muscles. Protein is the brick and mortar needed to make that happen. Find ways to get healthy sources of protein into your diet. While lean meats are popular, plenty of meatless protein-rich foods exist as well. In conjunction with regular exercise, quality protein intake puts your body on the fast track to greater strength and endurance.

Take days off

The whole point of letting your body recover after intense exercise is giving it time to do so. More times than not, this means taking at least one day off between designated workout days. If determined to stay active, use that day to go for a brief walk or bike ride. Give your body the time it takes to properly recover to prevent injury and ultimately shorten the time it takes you to reach your fitness goals.

Take hot baths

Taking a nice hot bath might sound like the last thing you want to do when you’re dripping with sweat after a fierce workout. However, doing so aids in the body’s natural efforts to recover from exercise. To prevent overheating, give yourself 15 minutes to half an hour to cool off. Sit inside an air-conditioned building, drink ice-cold water, and follow up with a dunk in a hot bath. Consider placing an ice pack over your head or across your neck to prevent further overheating.

Eat right

In addition to protein, your body needs healthy sources of carbohydrates and fats to be fully capable of recovering from intense exercise over an extended length of time. In other words, a nutritious diet is once again the key to healthy living.

Avoid alcohol

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to dehydration. As mentioned earlier, dehydration causes all sorts of problems with workout recovery. Therefore, it’s a good idea to avoid alcohol as much as possible. A few drinks throughout the week is okay, but anything more is putting your recovery process at risk. What’s more, alcohol is unhealthy in general, so it’s best to avoid it all together.

Chronic pain, also known as persistent pain is a type of pain that carries on for more than 12 weeks despite treatment or medication. Research shows that a lot of people get back to their normal conditions after pain from an operation or injury. Still, there are times when the pain might go on for longer or emerge without any cause of injury or operation.

Several people might be affected by chronic pain, and they include:

•   People with arthritis
•   People living with diabetes
•   People with back pain
•   People with irritable bowel
•   People with fibromyalgia

Therefore, chronic pain usually affects people with the conditions mentioned above. There are also other causes of chronic pain, which we are going to talk about below.

Causes of Chronic Pain

Chronic pain usually occurs as a result of an injury like a pulled muscle or back sprain. It is also believed that chronic pain might develop as a result of nerve damage. When nerves are damaged, it results in intense pain, which tends to last longer. When this is the case, it might be quite difficult treating chronic pain. 

But sometimes people may experience chronic pain as a result of an underlying health condition. These health conditions may include:

• Endometriosis – This is a painful disorder that usually occurs when the uterine lining grows out of the uterus.
• Chronic fatigue syndrome – This health condition is associated with extreme and long-lasting weariness that causes a lot of pain.
• Interstitial cystitis – It is a chronic disorder that is marked by pain and bladder pressure.
• Vulvodynia – It is a chronic vulva pain that occurs without any cause.
• Inflammatory bowel disease – This is a group of health conditions that cause chronic inflammation in your digestive tract and pain.

Types of Chronic Pain

There are various types of chronic which might be experienced by different people depending on their conditions. These include:

• Cancer pain
• Arthritis pain
• Post-surgical pain
• Neurogenic pain
• Psychogenic pain
• Headache
• Lower back pain
• Post-trauma pain

According to research from the American Academy of Pain Medicine, over 1.5 billion people globally experience chronic pain. It has also been noted to be the most common long-term disability condition in the U.S. Chronic pain affects over 100 million Americans.

Is Chronic Pain Common?

Chronic pain is much more common than people may think. It is believed to affect 1 in 5 people worldwide. Another thing to note about chronic pain is that it doesn’t choose age. It can affect people of all ages and body types.  

The worst thing is that it’s impossible to predict if the pain would become chronic. However, it is believed that people have a high potential for developing chronic pain if they undergo stress. Some people might also experience chronic pain after their usual tests fail to provide the right answer.

Best Ways to Treat or Manage Chronic Pain

Chronic pain requires the right treatment if you want to manage it properly. Luckily, there are many ways to treat chronic pain. Check out some of the ways to consider:

1. Chiropractic Treatment

Chiropractic treatment is one of the best ways to consider when you want to treat chronic pain. What happens is that chiropractors use various non-surgical treatments like spinal manipulation to treat chronic symptoms. These chronic symptoms may include muscle tension or inflammation. You can manage chronic pains like back or neck pains through various chiropractic treatments.

2. Kratom

Kratom is also considered as an excellent option for treating chronic pain. Kratom has been used in many cases to treat chronic pain that results from fibromyalgia or arthritis. Kratom is also used to help in the treatment of opioid withdrawal symptoms like mood disturbance and muscle aches.

3. Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen is also another ideal option to consider for chronic pain treatment. You can use it to treat headaches, skin injuries, and musculoskeletal health conditions. It is also prescribed by doctors to help in the treatment of back pain and osteoarthritis. Another suitable option is to combine it with opioids to reduce the amount needed for treatment.

4. Antidepressants

Antidepressants can also be used to control pain. The best is Tricyclic antidepressant since it is very effective when it comes to relieving pain. However, antidepressants need to be taken daily for them to be effective enough.

5. Exercise

Once you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which are feel good hormones. You will realize that when these hormones are released, they block pain signals, such that you only get immersed into a great mood. Exercise will also ensure that your muscles are strengthened in a manner that further pain and re-injury are prevented. 

6. Meditation

It is important that you learn how to meditate and deep breath properly as they are incredible techniques to ease your pain. This is because meditation will help your body relax, and in the process ease the pain that you may be experiencing.

When your muscles receive a message to relax, they ease up on their tightness and tension. This is a great way to ensure that your chronic pain eases up and puts you on an easier path to recovery.

7. Lower Stress Levels

It is worth noting that negative feelings such as anger, anxiety, stress, and depression can intensify your bodies sensitivity to pain. Therefore, when you take control of your stress, you will certainly ease up on some of your chronic pain.

Some of the ways by which you can relax and reduce stress is by listening to calming and soothing music. This will mean that you will better live with your chronic pain as it will be much more endurable. You could invest in relaxation tapes that are specifically designed for this.

Conclusion

The road to recovery from chronic pain is uncertain but not impossible. We’ve discussed various ways that you can use to manage and treat chronic pain. Therefore, these are things you need to consider and ensure to conduct more research for better results.

You will certainly better manage your chronic pain when your body is relaxed and you are not stressed.

Staying fit and healthy is something pretty much everyone is about these days. Not only is it important for your physical health, but it also helps your mental health. It’s a win-win. But going to a gym isn’t the best option for everyone. It’s not very convenient and memberships to gyms can cost an arm and a leg. Working out at home is the perfect option for anyone and everyone. Go at your own pace, workout when you want, and do how you please. Here are some helpful hints on how to have the best at home workout.

Tip #1: Create a Schedule

The best way to make sure you stick to your routine is to set aside a certain amount of time during the day to workout. You can then break down that time into different parts of your body that you’ll be focusing on. Or if you really want to get serious about it, you can set specific days for specific parts of your body. Alternate your arm days and leg days, it can really help you keep focus.

Tip #2: Create a Home Workout Plan

A home workout plan is a great way to keep track of your fitness journey. You can see where you started and how far you’ve come. It’s a great way to reassure you that you’re moving in the right direction. Seeing your progress from the start will really boost your confidence and want you to keep going. Setting goals and then one day reaching them is the biggest payoff!

Tip #3: Look Up Workout Videos

There are plenty of free workout videos on the internet. There’s no need to pay for a personal trainer when you can have one for free on your TV! While you may have to do a little research to see what type of videos will help you the most, it’ll be worth it when you see the results. Videos will show you exercises you didn’t even know existed!

Tip #4: Put on Your Gym Clothes

While it may seem a little silly to put on actual gym clothes, it really will make a difference. Knowing that you’re dressed for the part will help your brain stay focused on the task. You’ll actually want to workout when you’re dressed to do so.

Tip #5: Remove Any Distractions

Having your phone nearby or your favorite show playing in the background can easily distract you from the task at hand. Creating a space that is distraction-free is essential to keeping a focused mindset when working out at home.

Tip #6: Get a Partner

When there’s someone else in your home that you’re working out with, you’re being held accountable for when you decide to slack a little. Having a partner not only makes the workouts more fun and less lonely, but it also keeps you on track.

Tip #7: Remember to Stretch

Stretching is essential before any workout. Giving your muscles a good stretch before using them prevents injuries and releases tension. It’s also a great way to get into your workout mindset. Being in that peaceful mode really helps you focus on what you plan to do that day and what your goals are for the time being.

Tip #8: Keep It Fresh

It’s important not to get bored of your workout; that can cause you to become less interested in working out and more intrigued about the newest episode of your favorite TV show. There are tons of different workouts to do at home, so mix it up from time to time and keep it interesting!

Working out at home can seem intimidating. But the sooner you start, the better you’ll be looking and feeling in no time. And once you get into your routine you’ll realize what you’ve been missing out on this whole time. While there are many ways to go about it, these tips will help you have the best at home workouts. 

Exercise is an important component of an individual’s overall health and wellbeing. There seems to be an infinite number of ways to get your daily dose of exercise. From yoga to weightlifting, there is something out there for everyone. Boxing is one of these that virtually anyone can do. Boxing consists of a full body workout as well as different types of workout. Boxing provides your body with the cardio and muscle mass gains it needs to have you feeling fresh and healthy. Before going to your first boxing class it is important to do your research beforehand and below are 3 ways you can prepare for your first boxing class.  

Research

Research is the single most important thing you can do to prepare for your first boxing class. The first thing you’ll want to look up is nearby gyms. For example if you lived Austin Texas you would want to look up “boxing gyms in Austin”. Each gym has their own philosophy and way of teaching so it is important to find a local gym that you feel meshes well with your own philosophy and with what you hope to get out of the class. Once you have found a gym that fits you, you can explore the website to se about scheduling your class, what you will need to bring, and many other helpful tips. Many gyms will offer a free class so doing your research could end up saving you money in the longrun. 

Getting Equipment

Boxing is an activity that has a relatively low cost of entry. With many classes not being too expensive, the only other cost is the equipment. The equipment you will need is dependent on the class you sign up for. Often the specific gym will give you a list of things you will need to supply on the first day of class. In general the equipment that you may need to supply includes boxing gloves, hand wraps. Mouthguard, headgear, and shoes. The latter items on the list are normally not utilizd in class number 1. Sparing or practice with another person is often not done until the basics of boxing have been taught so mouthguards, headgear, and shoes are things you would need to get later on if you continue your boxing classes. 

Conditioning

Every major sport and good athlete participates in something known as conditioning. Conditioning is the act of deliberately pushing your body to increase your overal athleticism before you go and try an activity. Many acentionists will condition for months on stair steppers, treadmills, and other machines with their heavy backpacks on to simulate the conditions they will be met with as they climb a mountain. Conditioning is great because it increases your athleticism and allows you an advantage when you actually get to preform. While boxing can be started cold turkey, it is advisable to condition your body to exercise and go outside frequently and get your heart pumping. This will make the transition to boxing classes much easier physically and will allow you to focus more on technique than being physically exhausted. 

Overall boxing classes are a great entry level class that people of all ages can participate in. One doesn’t have to be a mixed martial arts fighting specialist to enjoy the benefits of boxing. Boxing gives you something to do that in the moment doesnt necessarily feel like a traditional workout, however it is giving you a great full body workout. In addition boxing gives you some practical self defense skills that could be used in an emergency situation where boxing classes and the techniques you learned could actually save your life.