Achieve an Easier and More Effective Workout (page 3 of 3)

Enhance Your Motivation

11. Work out during the least crowded hours. You'll squeeze in a more effective workout in less time if you hit the gym during the slowest period of the day, often midafternoon. You won't want to wait on line for equipment or feel hassled in the locker room.

12. Change your routine every 3 to 4 weeks. This will keep your body guessing -- improving your results -- and fuel your motivation. In the weight room, alternate exercises and modify the way you lift weights. If you usually do two sets of 15 reps, complete one set of about 15 reps, then increase the weight for another set of 8 reps. On cardio equipment, switch from the treadmill to the stair stepper or the stair stepper to the elliptical trainer. Mix up your exercise classes as well, switching around from Pilates to aerobic dance to yoga to kickboxing.

13. Slow down. In one study of 147 people completed at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, participants who lifted slowly -- taking at least 14 seconds to complete one repetition -- gained more strength than participants who lifted at a rate of 7 seconds per repetition. Slower lifting may help increase strength because it prevents you from using momentum or cheating with improper technique.

14. Put your mind behind every move. Rather than daydreaming through your workouts, put as much mental emphasis on what you do at the gym as you do at work -- or at least should do at work. For example, when doing a strength exercise, feel the muscle contract as you lift. This inner focus will help you to tune in to your technique. You'll fatigue your muscles faster because you'll make every movement count.

15. Invent a competition with the person on the next treadmill. So you're on the treadmill and you're bored and underachieving. Glance at the display on someone else's nearby treadmill. If you're walking at 3.5 miles per hour and he's chugging away at 4, see if you can increase your speed and catch him, as if it were a race. Although the man or woman on the nearby treadmill has no idea you're racing, he or she can still provide the motivation needed to boost your pace.

16. Wear the right shoes for the right class. When it comes to workout gear, you might get away with skimping on your clothing, but resist the urge to wear those ratty old sneakers you found in the back of your closet. Various fitness disciplines require specific types of footwear. Wearing the wrong shoes will not only make your workout feel harder, it could get you injured. Wear running shoes for running, walking shoes for walking, aerobics or cross-training shoes for aerobics, and hard-bottomed cycling shoes for spinning.

17. Watch an inspiring movie. If you just don't feel like working out, pop a movie like Rocky into your VCR or DVD. Watching your hero working hard to succeed can inspire you to apply that intense feeling during your next workout.

From Stealth Health

 

• Lose the Weight
• • Strength Training
• • Cardio Workouts
• Exercise

• Post-It Resolutions for the New Year
• Words to live by in 2008.
• 
• Get Out of Debt
• Getting out of debt is one of the most important positive steps you can make for yourself and your family. Make 2008 the year you finally clean up your finances.
• 
• Lose the Weight
• Maintaining a healthy weight is always important. Here are some easy changes you can make to your diet and fitness routine in 2008 to get back on the track to wellness.
• 
• Quit Bad Habits
• Bad habits are crutches that hold us back. Read the following articles to begin the process of moving forward with your life in 2008.
• 
• Organize Your Life
• Put everything in its place this year with these tips for maximizing space and cleanliness.
• 
• How to Make Time For Friends and Family
• Ideas on how to spend more quality time with your nearest and dearest.
• 
• 23 Ways to Keep Fast Food in Your Diet
• Don't eliminate fast food, just make smart choices!
• 

• Be Inspired
• 10 Celebrities Who Give Back
• 7 Amazing Stories, $700,000 to Charity
• Virginia Cervasio: Making It Matter
• PLUS:
• Quiz: What's Your Celebrity Cause IQ?