Cardiovascular exercise
The key to effective cardio exercise is all about intensity. You want to work smarter not harder.
Get the intensity right
When it comes to cardiovascular exercise, I recommend HIIT. (High intensity interval training). This basically means you exercise hard and fast for a short interval (30 seconds to a minute) followed by short rest intervals. Good examples are skipping, running, and hill walking at the recommended intervals for no more than 20 – 30 minutes per session.
Don’t do too much cardio: unless your goals include marathon running or long distance cycling. Long bouts of steady state cardio can lead to an increase in stress hormones, increase sugar cravings and a breakdown of muscle.
Resistance training
Weight training is of utmost important in maintaining lean muscle mass, creating strong bones, increasing your metabolism and getting a strong, healthy body.
Weight training should be executed at least three times a week for 40-60 minutes per session.
If you do not have access to a gym, there are many body weight exercises that are very effective
Compound vs isolated exercises
Isolated exercises are those that use one major muscle group at a time (e.g. bicep curls). Compound exercises involve recruiting many different muscles at the same time and using the whole body at once. Although isolated exercises do have their place, compound exercises are far more beneficial as they develop functional fitness enabling you to do more in your daily life. They recruit many muscle fibres resulting in gains in lean muscle mass which ensures our metabolism is fired up to continuously burn fat. Compound exercises develop strength, power and endurance.
The importance of using use proper form:
Proper form is key to getting the most out of your workouts. No matter how good an exercise is, it is only as good as the WAY you perform it. Bad form can lead to injury and proper form will maximise the benefits of it and keep your entire body strong. Be sure to always perform all exercises with a full range of movement. A trained physical trainer will help you with this.
Just keep moving:
Try to incorporate physical activity into your day, every day. Find something you enjoy, and variety is key to avoiding boredom and stimulating your body.
Remember, that just like a car or anything of value, your body needs to be maintained. Be sure to schedule sessions with a trained physical trainer, as well as a chiropractor or physiotherapist to keep aches and pains at bay and to ensure your body performs at its best.