Are you one of those who gets tired or short of breath when walking up a hill, or a couple of flights of stairs? Then, let us tell you that improve fitness should be your next goal.
How can you go about it? In this article, we’re going to give you five guidelines with which you can improve your level of fitness, and, in turn, prevent getting out of breath every time you make some kind of physical effort. Read on!
What is fitness and what does it consist of?
Fitness is the capacity we have to make physical efforts with enough energy and effectiveness, while delaying tiredness or fatigue and preventing injuries. Being in good shape is not about losing weight or becoming a pro athlete; it is more about successfully executing any physical activity you participate in, which is easy if you are in good health.
We can classify physical fitness into two different types:
- General: It starts off from being at a minimum level of good health that provides a person with a degree of efficiency necessary for him/her to go about their daily life. In other words, it is the basic physical condition for any physical-sports preparation and one of the pillars of good health.
- Special: This is the next level and is characteristic of a sport discipline.
However, the basic qualities of physical fitness are those that allow to perform any type of activity. These depend on metabolic processes and energy intake:
- Flexibility: This is the ability to perform movements with great amplitude, fluency and ease. For example, rhythmic gymnastics, yoga and stretching. It improves our postural hygiene, and allows us to be more mobile and aware of our body.
- Strength: It competes directly with resistance, since it is the ability to overcome it. For example, lifting a heavy weight.
- Resistance: The body’s capacity to withstand an activity for a certain period of time. For example, running a marathon or a long bike ride.
- Speed: This consists of the ability to cover a distance or perform a movement in the shortest possible time. For example, running a 50-meter race, sprinting or playing table tennis.
On the other hand, let’s not forget the so-called composite physical qualities. These are the result of combining some of the above and are determined by the CNS (Central Nervous System) management process:
- Agility: This is defined as the quality that allows to vary the position in space harmoniously and quickly. Flexibility, strength, speed and coordination are involved. For example, a soccer goalkeeper or someone who does martial arts needs to be agile.
- Coordination: This combines different muscles to perform a specific action. It is different depending on whether the action involves the whole body or only a part of it. For example, in basketball, sight and the hands are involved, and in soccer, sight and the feet are involved.
- Balance: This consists of maintaining the position of the body and its different parts in the space. Balance can be static or dynamic.
- Power: Ability to move a weight or overcome resistance in the shortest time possible. Combines speed and strength. For example, a jump or a throw.
Keys to physical fitness
To get into good shape, you should not only eat a healthy diet, you also should be relatively fit and follow a workout routine. Here are 5 steps to keep in mind.
1. Create a workout schedule
The goal is not only to find the right time, it is about actually getting down to work. The time is now, and there is no better moment, but we have to find it ourselves, so plan your time and decide what kind of activities you want to do. For example, do you want to go to the gym for group classes? Do elliptical training at home? Go for a run? Whichever option you choose, come up with a plan for the next quarter and set out what you want to achieve, when and how you’ll go about it.
This will make it much easier to meet your goals, get into an exercise routine and improve your fitness.
2. Wear the right clothing
“Wearing the wrong shoes when training could decrease our performance by up to 40%.”
It may seem unimportant, but if you have not exercised for a long time, your shoes or other clothing might not be in the best condition. What’s more, modern sports clothes are much more comfortable and ergonomic than they were only a few years ago.
If this is the first time you are going to plan a sports routine, we recommend buying specific material for what you are going to do, and above all, choosing suitable footwear. Wearing the wrong shoes when training could decrease our performance by up to 40%.
3. Watch your diet
This point is perhaps one of the most complicated, yet is probably the most important. As they say, you can’t out train a bad diet. You don’t have to go overboard, but you’ll need to learn to eat well. To do so, we recommend avoiding processed carbohydrates, refined sugars, excess sodium and saturated fats. In short, avoid temptations and those forbidden foods that prevent us from leading a healthy lifestyle.
On the other hand, aim for five meals a day. Eat everything, but do not go overboard. A good trick is to eat a lot of good food in the morning and gradually reduce the amount you eat throughout the day. The closer we get to bedtime, the less energy we expend, so binge eating is counterproductive, as we will not burn this energy, and it will be converted into fat. Avoiding big dinners will help prevent gastrointestinal problems and remember that the calories you ingest in this meal will not be burned. On the other hand, for mid-morning or mid-afternoon snacks, opt for vegetables, fruits or nuts.
After a short period of eating healthier you’ll notice that you feel better.
4. Adapt training
Improving fitness and endurance requires strength training. What’s more, doing so will also improve body posture and help prevent injuries.
- Change your workout routine:
The first few training sessions do not dramatically improve fitness level. However, with perseverance you will gradually achieve better results. Gradually increase the intensity of the training and the workout allowing the body to adapt, but incorporate different exercises so that it does not get used to it.
- Try out new methods such as electrofitness:
The benefits of EMS or electrical stimulation are not only limited to muscle recovery or to kick starting metabolism. It can also be used to improve muscle memory and, when necessary, to prevent the loss of muscle mass.
Electrofitness is a technique that can be used by anyone, it is painless, non-invasive, and respectful of the body. It could be the solution you are after to start exercising when this is not something you currently do, but you have realized that it is time to start getting into shape. The electrical impulses produced by electrofitness cause involuntary muscle contractions. What’s more, if done with a specialized monitor, far from causing you harm, you’ll obtain a wide range of benefits with EMS. This can be tailored to your needs, combined with a strength training, a cardio workout to lose weight and shed fat, so that the desired results are obtained in less time and with less effort.
5. Motivation and results
One of the most important parts of starting a new lifestyle with workout routines and a healthy diet is not giving up at the first hurdle. The primary motivation should be to achieve the goal, but since it is not automatic, this can get in the way of our motivation.
Nevertheless, with perseverance, you’ll gradually start feeling good and this change will become evident. To help you get into this habit, you can reward yourself with instant rewards that you set for yourself. However, be careful, because, depending on the ones you choose, they could go from being great allies to becoming your worst enemies.
The trick is to align your rewards with your goals; this way, they’ll help you feel motivated to achieve them. Positive rewards are help you become more disciplined and remind you how good you feel post-workout.
Electrofitness boosts results
Electrofitness is a discipline that combines EMS with high-intensity sport, so you can use it not just to lose weight. It is an ideal complement to day-to-day work, since it promotes the toning of damaged structures to recover their functionality. What’s more, short and effective workouts lead to real changes that are perceived quickly and visibly, which is why it is said to boost results. But what results?
- Helps you to get toned in less time.
- Burns calories, leading to weight loss.
- Get rid of cellulite.
- Combats flaccidity.
- Improves blood flow and the permeabilization of muscular tissues; as a result, it also improves oxygenation and tissue nutrition.
- Can be used by people who are unable to do high intensity workouts.
- More muscles are worked than with normal exercise movements.
- Releases endorphins, which is positive for relieving stress.
As you can see, electrical stimulation allows you to improve your fitness in a much simpler way and with proven effectiveness. If you’d like to be informed of all the benefits and possibilities of integrating this technique into your regular workout routine, subscribe to our blog.
