Category Archives: Fitness

Running is one of the best ways to stay fit and have a healthy heart. However, it can also be a good way to injure yourself and cause a setback in your running routine. So whether you’re training for an upcoming marathon, or is simply doing it as a fitness routine, make sure that you look out for the following signs that you might be running the wrong way.

1. You’re in Pain. A little soreness is normal, especially if you’re new to running. But if the pain lasts for several days, then it’s a clear sign that you’ve injured yourself. Such pain is often could be caused by the running shoes you’re using, or you’ve gone and over-trained. If the former is the cause, then simply replace your old shoes with a new pair of sneaks that you’re comfortable running with. But if the pain is caused by the latter, then your best option is to rethink your training regimen and consult a running coach to help you set a more realistic goal.

2. You Have Tight Muscles. Skipping a proper warm-up and cool-down is what often causes muscles to tighten mid-run. To prevent this from happening, perform a dynamic stretching routine beforehand to properly stretch your muscles out and get your heart rate raising. Once you’re done with your routine, perform a cool-down exercise by jogging at a slower pace and doing some static stretches like lunges to prepare your body to stop.

3. You Burnout Quickly. Running quickly right from the start of your routine is one way to quickly burnout in the middle of your run. That’s because your amped-up pace makes it difficult for your body to respond to the work that it’s about to do, making you feel fatigued faster and your runs shorter. The best way to counter this is to find and run in your ideal pace. Start with a slow, easy run then gradually increase your pace to make your run more challenging.

4. You’re Not Motivated to Run. Dragging yourself off the sofa to start running can be extremely difficult at times. So instead of doing running exercises on your own, join a running club in your area to help you stay motivated and find encouragement you need from your fellow runners. Mingle with the people in your club and learn as many things as you can to help you grow to a better and more experienced runner.

Running is indeed a fun way to get fit. So ensure that you’re doing it right to get the most out of this easy, fun and healthy routine. 

Think that hitting the gym is hard enough? Guess what, it’s even tougher when the weather beckons you to ditch the four corners and stale air of your gym in exchange for the sun and breeze outside. Nature has long been proven as a perfect buff-body training ground. Still not convinced? Then here are five reasons why it’s worth blowing off the dark, dreary corners of your gym and step outside.

1. Helps in Fighting Workout Boredom. Bored with your gym routine? Try doing it outdoors. The change in your usual indoor routine, the new faces and the scenic shrubberies will surely keep you from getting bored of working out. Since you’re distracted with your surroundings, you’ll also become less aware of the effort that you’re putting in your routine, making it less gruelling for you. Who knows, you might even end up doubling your workout to 60 minutes without even knowing it.

2. Burns Up More Calories. Sure, your gym machines did help a little in burning your extra calories, but exercising in a varied terrain of park will surely double the calorie burn that you get while running on a treadmill. All you’ve got to do is factor in the wind, the temperature and other external variables that could possibly help you in torching five to seven percent more calories.

3. Saves Money. Gym memberships aren’t cheap. It might even be a real waste of money if you’re more of a no-show member. The same thing goes for investing money in a home gym. So start turning into outdoor exercising now not only to cut your fitness bills, but your cash on gas as well.

4. Creates Positive Feelings. Exercising outdoors won’t just up your calorie burn, it can also cause you to feel euphoric and want to work harder. Aside from that, performing your routine outside also creates feelings of revitalization and positive thinking. In fact, simply doing a 30-minute walk in the park is already enough to make you feel less stressed.

5. Allows You to Exercise Whenever You Want. Unlike your gym routine where you need to schedule classes and line up just to use an elliptical machine, exercising outdoors allows you to workout whenever and wherever you want. Just the perfect way to get fit, especially for people who are always on-the-go.

Although regularly going to the gym helps in burning calories, exercising outdoors give you more than just that. So pack up your things now, cancel your membership and start performing your workout routine outside the four walls of your gym.

Whether it’s keeping appointments or plotting in events, we always set schedules for ourselves and you can also do so when it comes to your fitness routines. Establishing a workout schedule won’t only help you reach your fitness goals, it’ll also turn exercising into one of the healthy habits that you’ll surely look forward doing every morning. Interested in doing one now? Then list down these tips and get your workout schedule started today.

1. Assess Your Fitness Goals. One of the most important thing that you should consider when creating your workout schedule is your fitness goals. You should first understand that a workout schedule would vary depending on the goals that you want to achieve and how much free time you have to achieve that goal. With this in mind, the first step that you should do is to determine and set some realistic fitness goals, think of ways on how you’ll be able to commit to that schedule with your busy lifestyle and how soon do you want to realize your fitness goals.

2. Check on Your Lifestyle. Other than determining your fitness goals, there are other factors that you should also take into consideration before claiming a workout schedule as your own. Some of the considerations include your age, fitness level, pre-existing health conditions, as well as whether or not you prefer working out with a trainer. The time when you like to exercise is also an important consideration to make your workout schedule a successful one. Remember, everything comes to play when you’re making this health move.

3. Switch Your Cardio Routine. Feeling sick of having a morning jog as your cardio routine? Then it might be time to switch it up. Set a fun and interesting exercise move as your cardio exercise and incorporate it in your schedule not more than three times a week. Just be smart in choosing your cardio exercise though, as its effects can also vary on your overall goal.

4. Add In Toning and Strength Training. One way to make your exercise move effective is to include dynamic exercises that target strength too. If possible, fitness experts suggest combining toning and strength exercises to achieve your goal. You can engage in boxing classes or a rowing boot camp to get your daily dose of strength training.

5. Incorporate Stretch Exercises As Well. Stretching isn’t something that you should only do once a month. Rather, it should be something that you do every day. Incorporate it in your workout schedule and perform it before and after your workout sessions. After a long day of just sitting at your desk, you’ll surely look forward to performing this routine.

Creating a workout schedule isn’t as simple as scheduling your workout routines, as this requires a lot of consideration. Nonetheless, setting up a workout schedule is one of the best ways that you can do to achieve your fitness goal.