Establishing A Weekly Workout Routine - Advice From The ACE

Establishing A Weekly Workout Routine – Advice From The ACE

One of the best things you can do for your health and well-being is to establish a weekly workout routine. Finding – or making – time to exercise to improve your fitness could be the easy part to reach your goals. Doing the same workouts every week can get pretty boring and you are unlikely to see improvements because you are always recruiting the same muscle fibers. Changing your routine can bring amazing results. The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s Authority on Fitness, shares the following top ten 10 ways to improve your fitness workouts.

Incorporate some variety into your weekly routine. Become creative about fitness and create challenges for yourself. Avoid reaching a plateau by working out differently each session and force your body to adapt to new movements and levels of intensity.
Hire a personal trainer. Working out with a certified personal trainer on a weekly basis allows you to focus on the exercise at hand and lets the trainer worry about the routines. A trainer will keep your workout fresh and always progressing.
Proper nutrition and fluid intake. You can’t have a great workout unless you eat properly and stay hydrated during your exercise routine. Your body needs fuel to build muscle and repair damaged tissue.
Don’t push it! Working out as often as possible and pushing yourself too hard could be detrimental instead of beneficial. More intense workouts performed less often per week will actually produce greater results. Your body needs rest to recover and repair damaged muscle tissue and avoid injury during your exercise routines.
Incorporate mind-body training into your weekly routine. Mind-body fitness has been associated with improved muscular strength, flexibility, balance and coordination, as well as increased mental development and self-efficacy.
Choose the right time for your weekly exercise routines. Improve your fitness level more efficiently by working out with your body’s natural energy level—not against it. Exercise when you usually have the most energy, rather than putting your workout off until a time when you might not feel your best.
Find a workout buddy. There’s nothing better to adhere to a weekly fitness program than being accountable to someone else. A partner can inspire you to push yourself a little bit harder during each routine and when your energy level is not at its peak.
Learn the proper breathing technique. During cardiovascular workout routines, such as training on an elliptical machine, full breaths will deliver as much oxygen as possible to the working muscles, making them more efficient.
Stay within your target heart-rate zone while working out. Make sure the machine you use has a heart-rate monitor. It’s the best way to gauge how hard your body is working during your exercise routines.
Make workouts fun! Listening to music or watching a fitness video during your weekly workouts inspires and gives you that extra burst of energy you need to work your hardest.