Set New Fitness Goals This New Year

Set New Fitness Goals This New Year

The start of the year is an ideal time to set new personal fitness goals.

Try out new exercise routines, and revamp nutritional habits. But with so many options and so much health and fitness information online and in magazines, it’s not surprising that a lot of people have questions about how to get started with a new plan.

I’m new to exercising. Where do I start?

Getting started with an exercise plan may seem daunting, but once you get going it will feel very natural. The most important thing is to listen to your body.

Push yourself enough so that you feel like you’re challenging yourself, but not too hard that you risk getting injured or feeling terribly sore the next day.

How much exercise do I need?

There are many sources that recommend about 30 minutes of exercise, five times a week for weight loss and general health. This is classified by moderate to vigorous physical activity.

However, let’s say your goal is to run a marathon. In this case, you’ll need to train for a lot longer than 30 minutes at a time. If your goal simply is to lose weight or improve your overall fitness level, 30 minutes may be all you need. Striving to achieve the minimum recommended amount of activity is important for everyone.

A quick 20-minute workout

When you only have 20 minutes to squeeze in a workout, first try to do 10 minutes of cardio. This can be a mix of jumping rope, burpees, jumping jacks and high knees running.

Then spend another 10 minutes focused on functional, strength-based exercises, such as squats, lunges, push-ups, and planks. If you work at a high intensity and take short, active rest periods, 20 minutes can feel like an hour.

Forearm Planks

Place your forearms on your exercise mat in line with your shoulders. Plant your toes into the ground so that you’re using your core strength to hold your forearm plank.

Take deep breaths and be sure not to put too much pressure on your neck or back. Your abs should be working to hold you up.