What most personal trainers will say the key to working out is to start. You’ve got to begin to be great.
But many of us don’t start exercising or stop because we don’t know what really works or how to begin in the first place. Beginning an exercise program can be very overwhelming– even painful if you aren’t careful.
So we’ve created a few key areas (and even a sample workout) that will help ANYONE get a good workout in and lose your first 20 pounds.
Warm-Up
Warming your body up prior to exercise is very important for your health (and safety) and will also help you enjoy your workouts more.
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Warming up for 5-10 minutes will raise your body temperature and prepare your cardiovascular, respiratory, and nervous systems for the demands of exercise by slowly increasing the blood circulation to and from your heart and muscles.
Warming up helps your connective tissues better handle the stress of exercise, decreasing your chance of injury. Connective tissue is similar to hard plastic; if you don’t warm-up plastic it won’t be flexible, and is much more likely to “break.”
Proper warm-ups (and cool downs) also help reduce the severity of soreness in the next day or two following your workout.
The increased blood flow helps deliver more oxygen to the muscles and gets rid of the waste products that contribute to soreness. Increased blood flow also helps bring more fuel to your body, resulting in better performance.
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Warm-up with a low-impact exercise at a slower, more comfortable pace than your actual workout. Warm-up exercises like biking, an elliptical machine, walking, or rowing allow your body to warm up with limited stress to your joints.
Pace Yourself
Another reason for soreness is trying to do too much too soon. Don’t try
