During the month of March, despite the cold and dreary weather of Southwestern
Pennsylvania, I managed to get myself to the gym Monday through Friday at 5am, getting a complete workout in 5 days per week.
Exercising should not be a chore! It should be something you enjoy doing and I am adamant about finding that activity you love. However, settling into that special kind of workout won't get you to where you want to be! It is imperative that you add resistance training to your exercise program. Aerobic workouts (i.e. running, jogging, spinning) are great for cardiovascular endurance, but by themselves, they leave a huge gap in your training. By adding resistance, you increase calorie burning both during and between your workouts.
How does this work? When adding resistance, you are actually increasing the intensity of your workouts, consuming more oxygen, and burning more calories. When you work your different muscle groups, the muscles take time over the next few days to rebuild and by doing so, you continue to burn more calories (increasing resting metabolism) between your workouts.
How do I add resistance?
a. Use Weights/Resistance Bands
Weightlifting is one of the most
common forms of exercising and there are an infinite amount of ways you can
customize it to meet your needs. I have personally been using weight training
for over 15 years and it is great to complement any activity you may currently
participate in. If you have never used weights before, I strongly recommend you find an experienced individual to customize a program to meet your personal needs. You can contact my office directly if you need direction in finding that person.
b. Use Hills
Adding hills to your workout pushes your cardio and muscles to a new level. What if I told you that I burn over 700 calories per hour by simply walking? I walk at 3 mph but increase the treadmill incline to a 10% grade. Working against gravity by walking up hills or steps will always increase resistance and thus improve your workout without having to increase speed.
c. Use Body Weight
There are entire exercise routines sweeping the country right now that are built around using mostly your own body weight. Squats, pull-ups, push-ups, lunges, and planks are 5 of the most universal exercises that can be done just about anywhere without any equipment and can still provide an excellent workout. Every one of those exercises can also be modified to meet your personal goals and needs.
If you truly want to work your body the way it was designed, then increasing your resistance is a must for your training routine.
We
know that all workouts are not created equal; and everyone will tell
you they have the best one for you. Quality workouts will always have a
couple of things in common. Here are the
four exercise absolutes to help you shape your routine that I have
implemented over my past month of successful
exercise!
2. Resistance
2. Resistance
Exercising should not be a chore! It should be something you enjoy doing and I am adamant about finding that activity you love. However, settling into that special kind of workout won't get you to where you want to be! It is imperative that you add resistance training to your exercise program. Aerobic workouts (i.e. running, jogging, spinning) are great for cardiovascular endurance, but by themselves, they leave a huge gap in your training. By adding resistance, you increase calorie burning both during and between your workouts.
How does this work? When adding resistance, you are actually increasing the intensity of your workouts, consuming more oxygen, and burning more calories. When you work your different muscle groups, the muscles take time over the next few days to rebuild and by doing so, you continue to burn more calories (increasing resting metabolism) between your workouts.
How do I add resistance?
a. Use Weights/Resistance Bands
 |
| Resistance comes in many forms |
b. Use Hills
Adding hills to your workout pushes your cardio and muscles to a new level. What if I told you that I burn over 700 calories per hour by simply walking? I walk at 3 mph but increase the treadmill incline to a 10% grade. Working against gravity by walking up hills or steps will always increase resistance and thus improve your workout without having to increase speed.
c. Use Body Weight
There are entire exercise routines sweeping the country right now that are built around using mostly your own body weight. Squats, pull-ups, push-ups, lunges, and planks are 5 of the most universal exercises that can be done just about anywhere without any equipment and can still provide an excellent workout. Every one of those exercises can also be modified to meet your personal goals and needs.
If you truly want to work your body the way it was designed, then increasing your resistance is a must for your training routine.
This
is the second of four exercise absolutes to help you revamp your routine
and get the most out of whatever exercise routine you choose. Check
back next week for the third absolute.
Dr. Dan Turo is the owner and chiropractor of Turo Family Chiropractic located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. Follow him on facebook and twitter.
Dr. Dan Turo is the owner and chiropractor of Turo Family Chiropractic located in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. Follow him on facebook and twitter.
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