The Magic of Movement
1. Exercise selection
We live in a world where our time is very limited and we are getting pulled in all sorts of directions. The meeting. The party. The soccer game. The dinner. As a result, we have to use the time we have to workout very effectively and efficiently. One of the aspects we have to pay close attention to in order to maximize our time working out is exercise selection. We want to make sure to choose movements that are multi-joint and multi-planar in nature. Simply put, we want to choose exercises that work as many areas of the body as possible. This will give us the greatest bang for our buck with the precious time we have to workout.
2. Choose wisely with ab-specific training
This is closely tied to above with a tint of exercise safety. As mentioned above, we have limited time to workout so we want to choose our movements wisely. While ab-specific exercises like sit-ups and crunches are extremely popular, we don't need to do them in order to work that area of the body. Additionally, these spinal flexion focused exercises are not safe for many people to do as they can elicit back and neck pain. Instead, most of us would be better served choosing exercises that are more full body in nature. Not only will they work the abdominal area just as well if not in a better way, they will do so in a far safer fashion.
3. Have a back up plan
As much as we would like for everything to go smoothly and exactly to plan, unfortunately that will not be the case. Life happens. The key is to be prepared for when s”*%t hits the fan. We should sit down and map out the various scenarios when our plans to workout are scuppered. What can we do if we only have 30 minutes and no equipment? Heck, what can we do if we only have 5 minutes?! Yes, 5 minutes can be constructive if it’s used wisely. Get something done - because something is always better than nothing.
4. Don’t be a one trick pony
There are so many modes of exercise out there for us to try these days. Strength training, traditional cardio, yoga, pilates, HIIT training, and the list goes on. Rather than be 100% beholden to one of these modes, we would be better served both physically and mentally if we dabbled in a few different ones. The exercise tool box is a big one with many different tools that have different uses and benefits so we should look to take advantage of as many as we can.
5. Get the workout in as early as possible
We’ve all been there - we have our day set out exactly how we want it to be only for the whole lot of it to get turned upside down by a couple of curveballs. Movement is such a vital part of our existence and such a big component of us reaching our health and fitness goals. As a result, we want to do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and ends up being sacrificed. Of course, different things work for different people, but for the majority of us, finding a way to get our workout in earlier in the day will increase the likelihood that it get done.
