3 Of The Best Exercises You Can Ever Do
No matter how old or fit you are, getting in a good amount of exercise can benefit your body and mind in a multitude of ways. Having said that, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to exercise. Picking the right mix of exercises for your body is crucial. What works for your friend, might not work for you simply because every body is built different!
For instance, if you have joint or mobility issues, engaging in high-impact workouts will only worsen your pain. You should, on the contrary, engage in low-impact exercises such as walking. This would help you attain your body goals better without compromising your health.
The point in discussion being, your exercise need not be complicated for it to work for you. In this article, we’ll be further discussing three of the best and simple exercises you can incorporate into your lifestyle to attain your body goals. These exercises require little equipment, target different areas of your body and provide amazing health benefits.
Walking
A low-impact exercise like walking is easy on the joints, which makes it an excellent option for people of all ages and fitness levels. You don't need a gym membership to start walking. All you need is a comfortable pair of shoes and a safe place to walk or a treadmill.
Walking is generally an underrated exercise. But, health experts say that walking can help improve your cardiovascular health, boost your mood, and increase your energy levels. There are different types of walking you can perform such as brisk walking, hill walking, nordic walking, etc. Each of these helps to target and tone different muscles. An ideal workout session should be at least 30 minutes of walking per day, 4-5 days a week.
Tips to get the most out of walking:
Maintain good posture by standing up straight and engaging your core muscles. Take small, quick steps and land on the heel before rolling onto the ball of your foot. Swing your arms naturally by your side, and breathe deeply through both your nose and mouth. Also, make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes and clothing. Drink plenty of water before and after your walk.
Swimming
Swimming is another fantastic exercise that can improve your cardiovascular health, strength, and endurance. Depending on your style and intensity, it can go from a low-intensity to a high-intensity workout. If treated as a low-intensity workout, it can give you a full-body workout while engaging the major muscle groups. This is also one of the reasons why it is recommended to people with injuries or even people coping with obesity.
Just like walking, swimming provides different workout options as well. If you aim for an aerobic workout you can do lap swimming at a moderate pace. On the other hand, for a more intense workout, you can do sprints. You can also try out various swimming strokes, such as the freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, or butterfly, each of which targets different sets of muscles.
Tips for your next swim
All you need for swimming is a pool. If you are a beginner, consider taking lessons or asking a friend for help. Start by swimming at a slow pace for 10-15 minutes. Gradually increase your time and intensity as you become more comfortable in the water.
Kegel
Kegel exercises are a type of pelvic floor exercise that can help strengthen the muscles that support your bladder, uterus, and rectum. These muscles can weaken over time due to age, pregnancy, childbirth, and certain medical conditions, leading to urinary incontinence and other issues. Adding this to your workout mix can benefit you majorly by helping you cope with age related issues that affect the pelvic muscles. A kegel can be done anywhere, at the privacy of your home or even when you want that mid-work stretch!
How to make the most out of Kegel
First, you’ve to start by identifying the muscles you need to engage. You can do that by pausing your urine midstream. The muscles you use to do this are the ones you'll want to work on with Kegel exercises.
Once you've identified your pelvic floor muscles, find a comfortable position. You can perform Kegel exercises standing, sitting, or lying down. Then, squeeze the muscles and hold for a few seconds, and release. Repeat this cycle 10-15 times, several times a day. As you become more comfortable with the exercise, you can increase the duration of the hold and the number of repetitions.
Please note: If you feel any discomfort or pain, please reduce the intensity of your kegel exercises. Straining your pelvic floor muscles may cause it to become weak and unable to perform their necessary functions.
These are just three, but it’s a good number to start with as they give you a total body workout. As and when you progress, you can add other exercises to your routine to make it more interesting as well as challenging. But do keep in mind that your body’s goals are different. Listen to your body and give it the workout it needs!