10 Quick Exercise Tips

So you’ve made the decision to get leaner, fitter, and altogether healthier – but you don’t want to spend hours at the gym in order to achieve these results. Most people don’t. Getting to the gym on a daily basis can be a tiresome endeavour in itself, especially when you have to deal with the rush-hour of after-work traffic just to spend an hour waiting for a treadmill to become available. This is just one of the reasons why fitness equipment hire is becoming such a popular alternative, but even once you’ve got your own kit installed at home, how do you really know if you’re getting the most out of your workout time? It’s actually possible to get a super-effective exercise routine completed in thirty minutes every day if you know the right way to maximise what you’re doing. Just as a disclaimer before you follow these tips, remember that you should always get checked out by a doctor before you dive head-first into any work-out routine.  Here are our 10 quick exercise tips:

  1. Keep it short and sweet – Although you may think spending a lot of time slogging away on your exercise bike will give you better results, the truth is that after around thirty or fourty minutes, you start to lose some of the benefits, especially if you begin to lower the intensity of your exercise.
  2. Stick to quick, high-intensity bouts – Remember, if you’re just starting out, it’s best to go slow, but once you’ve built up some endurance, it can be a good idea to ramp up the intensity if you want a really effective workout.
  3. Get enough protein – Your muscles need protein to rebuild, and you’re not going to get much out of a strength or cardio workout without the right amount of protein.
  4. Drink plenty of water – Staying hydrated is so important. Remember that it takes a couple of hours for your body to fully absorb water, so you can’t just guzzle it down two minutes before your exercise. Drink often and regularly.
  5. Eat Carbs for Fuel – Carbohydrates give you the energy that you need for high-powered exercise, so if you’re going to do intense work-outs, make sure that you load up on the carbs.
  6. Pick something that you enjoy – Exercise is no fun if you hate it, and if you hate it, the chances are that you’re going to find an excuse not to do it, even if you do have a machine in your living room.
  7. Try diversity – Even if you love one particular machine, try hiring something new now and again, you might find that your body thanks you for the change of pace.
  8. Think positively – Before you get started with any work-out, make sure that you’re in the right frame of mind. Tell yourself that you can do it and cheer yourself on along the way. You’ll be surprised how much it helps.
  9. Start with small goals – Don’t set goals that are so far off in the future that you can’t possibly see yourself attaining them. This way you’re just setting yourself up to fail.
  10. Recognise that sometimes it’s going to be hard – Just because every now and again you feel as though you can’t quite achieve your goal, doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Stay strong, and keep trying.