Tag Archive for: Long Beach Nutritional Coach

Top 3 Fitness Program Mistakes

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Prior to beginning a fitness program you should have the greatest intention of succeeding beyond your wildest dreams. The challenges arise when most exercise program participants, unfortunately, fail to see progress, and do not reach their goals.

Most often fitness training program participants get easily frustrated, and eventually give up on their quest towards reaching their wellness goals. Patience dwindle, and hope quickly fades away. The heartbreak generally occurs as a result of three core fitness program mistakes. If these mistakes are avoided, then workout program success probability increases dramatically.

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Avoid these 3 most common workout program mistakes.

1. Not devising, and following a clear cut plan.

If you fail to intelligently plan your workout program prior to starting a routine, then you are more likely to not succeed. It is very important to devise a custom fitness program that is tailored toward your specific needs, and desires.

When I say create a workout plan it involves writing out your specific goals, and scheduling your gym time on your calendar. You will ultimately know exactly when your workouts will occur, what specifically you will do, and for how long you will workout. These variables are fully planned out prior to beginning your health fitness program.

Success is all about recognizing what you want to accomplish, why you want to accomplish it, and taking action as dictated in your exercise plan.

The bottom line is don’t start a workout program unless you have a focused plan in place.

2. Not incorporating the necessary fitness components.

Unfortunately, most people who do not have an exercise routine in place, prior to entering the gym, fail to incorporate all the necessary components for success to occur.

People who wish to lose body fat tend to focus only on cardiovascular exercise, and fail to compliment it with strength training. The result is a short circuit in progress. Why not use the best possible formula to accomplish your specific goals? Yes, it ultimately comes back to your fitness exercise program planning.

Strength training, cardiovascular, and flexibility exercises are the three main components of any fitness program. Depending upon your specific goals, it is necessary to place emphasis on each of these components differently. Remember, workout goals vary from person to person, just as some people wish to lose fat, others desire to increase muscle.

Make sure your fitness plan has accounted for these three variables.

3. Not working hard enough.

Getting excellent exercise program results takes work! If you don’t push yourself, then the results witnessed will be slim to none. I always recommend for my fitness training clients to work up a sweat during a workout session. The sweat factor is a good gauge of exercise intensity. Of course, a smart exercise program participant will progressively increase intensity over time.

Along with not working out hard enough, consistency is a mandatory variable in order to reach your fitness program goals. Once again, it all goes back to your initial plan. You will know exactly when you are working out, each week, because the exercise time will be scheduled on your calendar. Planning ahead is everything.

My intention in writing this article is to help you succeed on your workout plan. Doing so is just a matter of avoiding these top 3 fitness program pitfalls. You can succeed!

Avoid Stress Eating with These Dieters Tips

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Wondering how stress affects your resolve to lose weight? A new survey finds that if you’re a frequent dieter, you’re more likely to indulge in stress eating. What’s more, those who indulge during stressful times tend to pig out on calorie filled, fat laden junk foods.

Researchers suggested some dieters tips, including indulging in the occasional slice of cake might just make you less likely to binge on cake during a stressful time.

dieters tips

The thing is, if you’re always dieting, you might just give up when you’re feeling stressed – eating what you want, when you want it. It’s human nature, after all, to want to feel good, or avoid feeling bad. Food does this for many of us, and over time the association of food with love and good feelings grows so strong that it fuels cravings for years to come. Soon it feels unnatural not to eat as a response to stress.

Chronic stress keeps the body’s natural systems on high alert, ramping up the production of stress hormone cortisol, and one of the responses to long term stress is to search out very pleasurable foods… high energy choices with lots of fat and sugar. These foods help your body maintain its reserves and cope, and eventually dampen down the output of the stress system.

Earlier research has found that stress does cause biological as well as psychological changes that impact the kind of foods we crave and what we eat.

To understand more about food consumption and stress, the research team recruited 158 adult subjects to complete a question survey that uncovered some interesting things about stress eating.

Everyone in the survey who ate under stress also reported that they chose foods that were more calorific and were higher in fat, salt, carbs and sugar during these times.

Other findings of the survey include…

  • Just 20% of respondents said they followed the same eating pattern whether stressed or not, about 40% ate less when stressed, 40% ate more.

  • Stress overeaters had a much higher chance of being on a diet lasting at least 2 weeks, and yet they had wider waistlines, bigger hips and were heavier, on average, compared with those who didn’t eat under stress.

  • Stress overeaters eat even unhealthier foods than those who don’t eat when stressed… the overeaters under stress preferred chocolate, candy or another sweets when stressed.

  • On the opposite end of the spectrum, 40% of people who eat less under stress craved fruits, veggies and cheese during a stressful time.

In the long run, when it comes to stress eating and your weight loss goals, one of the best dieters tips is to figure how to manage the inevitable upheaval and tension with things other than food… exercise, deep breathing, a walk outside, time with a pet… whatever works for you.

It also helps to make the effort to learn about your feelings and what might be triggering them. Negative emotions, despite what you’ve been told, or told yourself, aren’t bad. They’re simply giving you a message that something isn’t right… what’s stressing you out or what needs to change. Ignoring the problem only makes things worse.

Training with Stability Balls

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Stability balls are also known as gym balls, Exercise balls, Fit balls, Balance balls, Flex balls, Stretch balls, Yoga balls, Pilate’s balls, Ballast balls or Swiss balls. They are a product that has been around in the fitness industry for many years.

History tells us that the balls were originally used for Physical Therapy and rehabilitation purposes and from here they were seen as a piece of apparatus that could assist people with Strength Training, Flexibility and Core work.

stability balls

Stability Balls: Versatile

The Stability ball is very versatile and also highly portable so it can be used in the gym, for training in the park or taken to someone’s home. It doubles as a bench, where the client can either sit upright doing their weights or body weight exercises, or lying down doing back chest or arms work. In comparison to buying a bench which is far heavier to transport or lift the ball is less than a quarter of the cost.

A bench allows you to isolate or support the body weight where as the ball focuses on the balance and Stability challenge more. It isolates a part of the muscle group and focuses on strengthening the muscles around the contact point, whereas with a flat back there is no possibility to work on a section of the back or arch the back in any way.

When using a bench for abdominal work again there are limitations when it comes to lever length and positioning of the body, but when you use the stability ball your options include the wall, side lying position, lower abdominal work or crunches.

Improve Your Posture With Stability Balls

The stability ball is also widely recognized as a tool to promote good posture and can be seen in many work places as a substitute for chairs. The ball helps alleviate slouching that is most common in chairs and makes the person sit more upright. For people with lower back problems it also allows shifting of weight to distribute less pressure on the spine.

In the fitness industry, professionals continually came up with more uses of the ball and two of these areas are power work and sports conditioning.

Due to heavy weights being used in the exercises, some stability balls were exploding under the excess load and this led to some injuries. So the stability ball companies developed new balls that had a minimum standard of breaking under load. Most balls and insurance companies require a loading figure or Anti- burst rating of around 350kgs.

So when buying a ball, check that you buy the right size for your use and also the right strength rating. Prices will vary.

BOSU Balance Trainer

BOSU have a new Stability ball on the market called the BOSU Ballast Ball.

The ball has weight inside (shot or sand based) which is used as Ballast or counter weight. You can lift it, shift it, or shake it, depending on how you move the ball and how fast. It was again originally developed for rehabilitation and is a great tool for shoulder work, and core stability.

Its next major use is as a normal stability ball that allows you to do all the exercises you would on them, but with the versatility of the added weight you can combine single strength and movement exercises such as a squat and jump press into a sports specific move.

The added advantage of this ball is that it will not move or roll away from you. This also eliminates the need to anchor your feet on or against a wall in a lot of stability training exercises.

4 Time Saving Physical Fitness Program Tips

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When it comes to your physical fitness program, wouldn’t it be nice to save valuable time, and still benefit the same, or enjoy even better workout results?

Let’s face it, in today’s society, time is the ultimate asset. There is generally never enough time in the day to complete all the tasks you want, including your workout routine. One of the biggest challenges people have in achieving health fitness success is having the time to do it. As a fitness training consultant, I always hear the excuse of I don’t have time to exercise.

fitness program

Therefore, the best case fitness training program would be one that saves you valuable time, and delivers as good, or even better exercise program results. Who has time to waste these days on a time consuming, ineffective fitness plan?

So here is what I recommend you do to speed up your physical fitness program time. Follow these 4 simple time saving exercise routine tips, and watch your time in the gym shrink to a manageable level. By decreasing your time in the gym, there is an excellent chance that you will be able to keep your fitness exercise program commitment of consistency, and never ending improvement.

1. Be workout prepared, and focused.

Prior to starting your fitness program, you must be totally clear on what exactly you are going to do prior to entering the gym. You should be not only physical fitness program clear, but completely focused throughout your fitness exercise program session.

Working out prepared means knowing exactly what exercises, what order, how many reps you are shooting for, and how long you will spend working out. I recommend writing all of this important data down in your exercise journal prior to walking into the gym.

As far as the best fitness program focus, avoid talking to people during your workout. Stop reading the newspaper between exercise sets. Leave the cell phone in the car. Have a backup plan for exercises when machines are busy.
When you begin your physical fitness program you are laser focused on what you will accomplish. This workout approach will not only save you time, but deliver you much better results.

2. Follow a properly structured, backed by science, fitness plan to help get better results in much less time.

Please understand, not all fitness training programs are created equal! As a matter of fact, most are severely flawed, and not backed by sound exercise physiology principles. It is important to be on a fitness routine that is both effective, and very time efficient.

3. Increase your exercise intensity.

In your new time saving workout routine, you will want to progressively increase your exercise intensity. This little strategy will instantly deliver you fitness training program success in less time. When it comes to results, increasing the exercise intensity delivers more bang for the fitness buck.

For your cardiovascular fitness plan use the HIIT (high intensity interval training) method of training. It will deliver better physical fitness program results in less time.

Use HIT (high intensity training) for your strength training fitness plan. HIT is where you train to momentary muscle failure, and progressively increase resistance over time, driving up the intensity of exercise. Incorporating this workout method will surely equal better results in less time.

4. Schedule your exercise program time.

In order to be as efficient, and effective as possible, schedule your workout program time on your calendar. Be specific, like Tuesday from 3:30 to 3:50 you will do strength training, and from 3:50 to 4:10 you are doing cardiovascular work. At 4:10 you are to be finished, and out of the gym. Stick to your exercise time schedule. Once again, this tip comes down to smart planning prior to entering the gym.

Follow these 4 time saving physical fitness program tips! Doing so will not only save you a ton of time, but get you better workout results along the way. Enjoy your new found free time!

Tips to Stress Eating

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Stress is one of the most common causes of overeating and weight gain. Can you relate? Your day gets busy, life feels overwhelming, and you find yourself (without much thought) inhaling a sugary fatty “treat” because you think it’s going to make you feel better – and it does for about a minute. Maybe you turn to junk food to “boost energy” or to help you deal with your feelings of anxiety, frustration, anger, or sadness. All the while you’re gaining weight and feeling worse instead of better.

As much as you want to stop stress eating, it’s hard to control because (ironically) it happens when you’re stressed. It’s not enough to just tell yourself not to do it. In fact, trying NOT to stress eat can actually intensify stress and make you want to eat more. It is possible however, to break the cycle of stress – stress eating – more stress with the right plan.

Wonderfully Fit PT

A plan to successfully control stress eating is not just about food. In fact, it doesn’t start with food at all. A few non-food strategies and a bit of practice can make a huge difference. It takes persistence and creative ways to calm and successfully soothe yourself. The goal is to rewire your brain to identify certain non-eating behaviors as comforting, and to use those behaviors when things start to feel stressful. These three stress busting strategies can help you to calm down and take control.

STRESS BUSTING TIP 1: Be Aware and Take Care

Much of stress eating is so unconscious that it happens automatically and you may not even realize it. Before you can make changes in your behavior, you need to be aware of what you are doing. Keeping a journal can help. Write down where and when you stress eat. Was it during work or late at night when you are alone? Do you notice any patterns? Try to determine whether or not you were physically hungry. At first you may be journaling after the fact, but eventually you’re awareness will increase and you will catch yourself before you stress eat. This is the goal; and then you can decide to NOT stress eat and do something else to cope.

STRESS BUSTING TIP 2: Stop – N – Swap

If you remove stress eating from your life, you have to replace it with something. Write down a concrete list of all the healthy, non-food related activities that give you a quick pick-me-up on a tough day. Here a few simple examples.

STRESS BUSTING TIP 3: Practice Yourself Calm

In addition to the techniques mentioned above there are many other ways to calm yourself without eating, such as journaling, meditation, connecting with others, distraction, guided imagery, aroma therapy and other ways to pamper your senses. Try out these techniques when you aren’t craving food so you know exactly what to do before you really need them.

Now, let’s talk about a few stress-busting foods. There are certain foods that have calming properties based on how their specific nutrients are used by the body. Here are a few you can try:

Tea. Green, black, and white teas are packed with flavonoids; natural antioxidants that may help blood vessels relax and lower blood pressure. If you are sensitive to caffeine, go for decaffeinated varieties. And be sure not to add sugar or an artificial sweetener to your tea. Dark chocolate, red peppers, citrus fruits and berries are other flavonoid-rich foods.

Dark green vegetables. Veggies such as broccoli, spinach, kale and other greens are high in B vitamins, which can help fight anxiety. Research suggests people with low levels of these vitamins are more likely to have depression than those with normal levels.

Nuts. Almonds and cashews are rich sources of magnesium, a mineral involved in production of serotonin – a chemical produced by the body to help it relax. Like dark green veggies, nuts are high in B vitamins. They are also packed with healthy fat and some protein to reduce cravings and keep hunger at bay.

Improving Your Health with Stability Balls

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We can easily spot a large rubber ball at a gym or in the house of your friend. It is called a stability ball which is very helpful in performing various exercises without causing any injuries to your body. Kids usually find it as a good toy to play with.

Here in this article you will find out why it is one of the best exercise tools which is cheaply available in the market today. Many become skeptical when it comes to the idea of doing exercise on a ball. But a stability ball can challenge your body in such ways which you never thought to be possible before.

stability

The first thing that one must understand is that stability balls are not something which were invented recently and eventually became prominent. It was first used by physical therapists during 1900s. Orthopedic surgeons of that time found this simple device to be very effective in the rehabilitation of patients after surgeries. Various flexions could be performed without much effort. This prevented any injuries from happening.

They can also be used for preventing the emergence of any physical disability. Stability balls are usually large and are made with heavy-duty rubber. When inflated, it can sustain pressure up to 700 pounds.

It is easy, comfortable, and supportive for using as exercising aids. The air inside the ball makes it to curve around your body’s shape and gives us optimum support for performing various types of exercises. Changing positions during exercise is also easy as you can stay off the floor by giving support on the ball. Major muscle groups can be worked together for getting optimum benefit for your whole body.

Some of the benefits of using stability balls for exercise are that you will get improved muscle tone, muscle strength, and endurance. The stability of the spinal cord is also improved. There are certain aerobic training programs which are specifically developed for stability balls.

The simple act of balancing your whole body on to a stability ball will give you improved balance, stability, and coordination. It allows you to maintain proper body posture and balance during your daily activities. Normal exercises which we perform in gym are concerned with increasing the strength of specific muscles. They don’t improve the functioning of ‘stabilizer muscles’.

But by doing exercise with stability balls you are working all the stabilizer muscles which are very important for maintaining right posture and for avoiding injuries.

How to Choose the Right Fitness Program for Weight Loss

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Fitness programs exist in multitudes, the only catch being that not all of these are useful or effective. They are not one-size-fits-all solutions which are created to match the preferences, desires and needs of a wide spectrum of individuals.

Thus, the onus is on the individual intending to lose weight to choose the right weight loss program as per his/her needs.

fitness

When it comes to losing weight, there are three factors which play a seminal role – fitness program, a healthy diet and lifestyle. Before you choose a fitness program, you should first assess your own physical condition at that particular moment. If you have certain underlying medical conditions then you should choose fitness programs that would help in improving the condition. Avoid programs that tend to strain the problem area or may aggravate the medical condition. For instance, people having heart condition should not engage in high impact exercises or interval training sessions.

You should choose fitness programs as per your personality. While you can take recommendations from friends and families, don’t assume that just because a particular program worked for your friend or colleague or family it would also work for you. You must particularly avoid purchasing weight loss programs released by celebrities blindly because they might not be suitable for your circumstances.

Always choose a program which incorporates the kind of moves or exercises that you enjoy doing. This would ensure that you won’t feel as if you are exercising because you will have a lot of fun and also sculpt out a leaner and slimmer body for yourself. For example if you like dancing then it would make sense to opt for fitness programs that are all about dance moves.

One of the common pitfalls of people choosing the right fitness programs for themselves is that they tend to select only one weight loss program. Variety is the spice of life – this phrase has to be kept in mind when exercising. When you choose only one program you will eventually get bored of doing the same moves again and again.

Thus, it is advisable to enroll for a whole bunch of different fitness programs and follow them on different days of the week so as to break the monotony and prevent boredom from sinking in.

It is also advisable to obtain fitness plans that include change in duration, speed and dexterity of the exercises. You should also incorporate strength training and cardio exercises at least thrice a week in order to move the level of your physical fitness up a notch.

How to Stop Stress Eating

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When stressed out do you engage in healthy ways to cope with stress or self-destructive ones as stress eating. However, many women I work with admit that during stressful times healthy lifestyle and healthy stress management habits go out of a window.

It is much easier to reach for food as a source of comfort and sooth yourself with food. Over time you may have developed this particular coping habit and when stress and uncertainty increase, you turn to what you know, especially if it has associations of a simpler and safer time in your lives.

stress eating

In a crisis, we call friends and family members. Just the sound of a loved one’s voice can be soothing. In the everyday crises of our lives, it’s easy to come home after a long day and turn to something we know – food.

This is known as emotional eating, or “stress eating,” or other terms that all refer to the consumption of food for reasons other than physical hunger and need for energy. Unfortunately, the ultimate comfort eating foods are often loaded with carbohydrates and fat — and come with strings attached — stress fat.

And if you continue to use stress eating to comfort, the kilos keep adding on and then you need more comforting because now you have additional stress – necessity to deal with an extra weight.

Most women would prefer to be managing stress in healthier ways, but when stress levels are high, many of us find it much more tempting to indulge in something delicious and easier than exercising or meditating.

Where to start to break that vicious comfort eating cycle?

Start by bringing more awareness to when and how you comfort yourself.

Have a range of soothing activities available to you, so that you feel like you have a choice. You may be in the habit of grabbing food on the way or as soon as you walk in the door.

Try to break that self-destructive habit by developing a new healthy habit.

When ever you feel an urge to eat, and you are not psychically hungry do something totally different to redirect your attention – it doesn’t matter what it is (drink a glass of water, walk a dog, paint, or knit, do a puzzle or crosswords ) as long as it is completely different from your usual routine. Eating in response to your triggers is a habit; choosing to do something else breaks the cycle.

Make a list of activities that soothe you before you need them and start doing them on a regular basis. You can overcome emotional eating through dozens of mindful activities that are healthy for both body and mind.

Write down both simple and more complicated ideas; be sure to include a few that don’t require any preparation or equipment. You may have different ideas for home, work, and other settings. Add new activities to your list as you think of them.

Having a variety of ideas ensures that you’ll come up with something that fits your mood or situation. That will help you build a new healthy habit of using other ways to soothe yourself besides eating.

Reach for your list instead of the refrigerator next time you feel the urge to snack. And remember, you’re redirecting your attention away from food because you don’t need it yet, not because you’re depriving yourself. Remind yourself that you’ll eat when you’re hungry.

Start small. Call a friend. Take a few deep breaths.Try mindfulness activity called blank mind exercise.

Small things can make a big difference.

Identify those times of the day that are most difficult for you and have your list handy.

For most women transition times from and to work and mid-afternoons are particularly hard. These are times of the day when your stress hormone cortisol level drops and your energy needs a boost and all women are in danger to fall into stress-induced eating trap.

Our lives are busy, often difficult and out of balance. In order to stay slim, calm and balanced you need to be proactive and find the ways to sooth yourself without food in a healthy way.

Uses of the Stability Ball

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The stability ball dates back to around 1960 when the Italian toy maker Aquilino Cosani designed and sold the ball mainly in Europe and it was known as the Gymnastik Ball. It wasn’t until about 1980 that the exercise ball made its way to North America being used for clinical rehabilitation.

The stability ball has been called by a variety of other common names such as Exercise Ball, Swiss Ball, Balance Ball, Fitness Ball, Physio Ball etc.

stability ball

Proper ball size is determined by the user’s height. When seated on the ball, your hips and knees should be close to parallel with the floor. The following is a size chart to help you determine which ball size is recommended for your height.

  • 55cm – inflates to 21 inches high – 5’to 5’7″
  • 65cm – inflates to 25 inches high – 5’8″ to 6’3″
  • 75cm – inflates to 29 inches high -Taller than 6’3″

Using a stability ball is great for many things. It can strengthen the back muscles, the core and abdominal muscles. If you are working out to achieve great abs, this ball can definitely target the abdominal areas.

Some easy to start exercises on the stability ball are sit-ups and crunches. These exercises will help you to use more muscles than by doing them on the floor. When using the ball for other exercises, such as holding the ball in front of you on the ground, and doing leg lifts, you want to make sure you have balance and use a focal point.

Always remember to breathe and never hold your breath.

Sitting on the ball at any time, instead of in a chair, will give your body and core muscles a good workout. This will also help improve your posture and balance. By sitting straight up on the ball, this will take the pressure off of your back. The stability ball works the “foundation” or trunk in almost every exercise, whether it is a targeted activity for upper body, lower body, or specifically for the abdominal and low back. Your body can be easily positioned on the ball to go through a greater range of motion. Allows you to be comfortable “off ” the floor for many exercises.

Because the ball is a little unstable and you must constantly adjust to remain balanced, use of the stability ball improves the functional strength, balance and flexibility of the body. Using free weights with the ball as a bench is great for all those stabilizer muscles.

Stability balls make great additions to anyone’s home. They can easily be used at the office or even deflate them and take them with you on vacation. No matter if they are used for strengthening the abdomens, flexibility, or balancing, the list goes on. The stability ball has become very popular, very easy to use and a must have for exercising.

Strength Training Tips

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Strength training is an important part of any workout routine. It is a type of exercise which helps strengthen the muscle mass of the body. As you age, the muscle strength and bone density in the body tends to weaken resulting in accidents and injuries which can hamper your day to day activities.

Stronger muscles improve the metabolism of the body, help reduce the pressure on the heart and keep blood sugar levels in control. Some simple strength training tips are listed below.

muscle

Start off gradually

If you are new to this form of exercise, begin with lighter weights and fewer repetitions, gradually increasing them. Muscle strength is achieved when your muscles get tired momentarily and you cannot continue any further. You will begin to feel this momentary muscle fatigue at the end of a single set of eight to twelve repetitions. Make sure that you rest your muscles for at least two to three minutes before moving on to the next set. Muscles need time to repair, hence do not load your workout schedule with too many strength training exercises else it may lead to injury.

Plan a mix of exercises

Although dumbbells are a convenient and inexpensive form of strength training, you will achieve better results and avoid boredom as well by mixing up your exercises. If you have access to a gym, try out equipments like exercise balls and resistance bands or any other strength training machines that are available. You can sign up for Pilates classes or yoga classes as well to give you that much needed variety and fun in your exercise routine.

Practice proper form

Whatever type of exercise you follow, if your form or posture is not correct, you will not be able to achieve the desired results. It will also add to the risk of injury. Hence it is essential that you learn the correct way to do an exercise. If you are finding it difficult to understand the ideal posture for the exercise, it may be a good idea to fix up a few strength training sessions with a personal trainer. A personal trainer will guide you and monitor the posture of your exercise thereby avoiding injury and help increase the effectiveness of the exercise.
Include whole body exercises

It may seem logical to target your problem areas, however concentrating only on a particular muscle group can lead to muscular imbalance in the body and increase the risk of injury. Moreover, muscles all over the body need to be toned and strengthened for maximum benefits. Concentrate on different muscle groups after every session; for example, you can work on your butt and thigh muscles during one session and move on to your upper body muscles during the next session. Alternatively, you can practice whole body exercises during each session.

Before and after

For maximum benefits and minimum injury, it is essential to warm up before any exercise regime. A simple five minute sprint or spot jogging that will bring up your heart rate is a must. Similarly, stretching your muscles after any workout will contract your muscles and help you feel relaxed.