One of the number one new year’s resolutions in America is “workout more” or “be more active.”
Of which, we normally do not keep up with for long due to lack of motivation and sometimes, life just gets in the way of our goals. Regardless, having a goal and a realistic way to achieve the goal is important.
Photo courtey of Creative Commons
I have been working at a gym for over four years. That does not make me a personal trainer, a gym expert, or even someone who works out all the time, but it does give me a little bit more of a platform of knowledge when it comes to staying active and working out.
I, personally, only work out moderately which is good for most lifestyles. Especially mine being that I work part-time while in school full-time with a good amount of extracurricular activities.
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
Being naturally short and petite, I try not to do too many workouts that may bulk me up. I recommend rest days between days that you workout, especially if you do strength training more often than you do cardio. It is not necessarily better to put stress on your body daily, even if you are just starting to get into an active lifestyle and dont work up to it overtime. I may workout every other day (when I’m being good) which is what I recommend for most people.
Working out different areas of your body each day of the week with rest days in between seems to be what is most effective for people who keep up their routines overtime, especially women.
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
The ideal workout setup for a regular week would probably look something like;
Monday: Abdominal
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Legs
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Arms
Saturday: Cardio
Sunday: Rest
Repeat.
This is good to go by for people who have never really had a workout routine. Once you decide on specific areas that you want to focus on and grow to learn your body more, I highly recommend personalizing it.
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
Once again, I am not personal trainer or health and fitness expert but I am pretty active and I have spent a long time working in gyms where I observe a lot of my personal trainer friends help people do what works for them.
Just remember that your routine is for you, not for anyone else. Do what works for you, your body, and your lifestyle.