How To Make Exercise About Quality, Not Quantity

Hi Graniteers ,or maybe Granitites, lol. Hope y’all are going well. Today we have another guest post by our friend Cate Palmer from Media Gurus. It is about a principle which we might have overlooked in the past, and perhaps still do. I know that I’m guilty of this for sure, which is why I was delighted to receive this guest post. Enjoy!

If you’ve ever tried to workout, you’ve probably noticed that everything is measured in minutes and hours. Those numbers should be enough for you and will provide you with great results. Well, that’s not true. Keep in mind that efficiency of your workout can’t be measured in time. The quality of training is much more important and you should focus on that.

Ignore all outdated fitness recommendations and approach to fitness from a scientific angle. Latest findings showed that 20 minutes can be enough of training if done right. Your training should include high-intensity exercises, multi-dimensional movement, stretching and much more. You should go for a full package if you aim to get the best results.

Diversify your workout routine

If you are serious about fitness, you should give your best to create a routine that is multi-dimensional. Your workout sessions should be compiled of resistance training, yoga, pilates, high-intensity interval training etc. It would be great if you stick with all of those since there are findings that suggest multi-dimensional routines can help in losing excessive weight while gaining lean body mass.
Make sure to avoid creating your own workout schedule, except you are a fitness coach. Always seek an advice from a professional if you want to change something in your workout routine. This kind of practice will keep you safe and strong. You should avoid injuries at any cost, and some prevention should do the trick.

In addition, you should try to mimic the activities your ancestors had to do in the past. Most of them were pretty active and the most of their day was spent on physical activities which provided them with food. Those exercises are called functional. Squats, planks, and lunges are just some of them. These exercises will make you move in all dimensions: front, back, side-to-side, and rotational. If you engage in this type of workout, your muscles will be affected from various angles and will grow as they are supposed to.

Long workouts can be harmful

It looks like high-endurance training can be really bad for your heart. Running for an hour is not that good endurance sessions can cause oxidative stress, damage to heart since your muscles can be stressed too much, and instead to grow, they’ll get weaker. In addition, tissues and inflammation.

It is much better to engage in moderate workouts than push yourself to the limit. It is hard to say what is the perfect amount of endeavor you should invest in one training. One is sure, do just the stuff that feels good, forget about old saying about pain and gain. Pain is there to warn about the upcoming injury.

Save time with intensity

At the end of 20th century, everybody thought that aerobic exercises performed over a long period of time will ensure the best results. Bunch of fitness coaches were recommending long training at a moderate pace. Experience showed something completely different. In the last couple of years, it became clear that high-intensity interval training (HIIT), compared to old moderate-paced ones, is way more effective and efficient. There are so many versions of HIIT, so before you get in your active wear by Metas Athletics, you should do some research and find the one that meets your needs and abilities.

Don’t skip stretching and recovery

Your muscles need to be prepared for high-intensity training, so session of stretching should be incorporated in beginning and at the end of every training. Warming up and stretching will keep your muscles long and warm, and that will protect them from cramps or injury. You should do everything in your power to remain safe and healthy.

Feel free to take breaks from training here and now. You won’t be able to get great results if you push your body every day. Give it a chance to heal and recover. This is very important for your adrenal glands. They are releasing cortisol, which is known as „the stress hormone“. If you don’t give this gland a chance to rest, you’ll start feeling stressed out and your body will suffer. Keep in mind that recovery is crucial in the long run. As mentioned above, you should always communicate with your body and listen to its messages.

It is very important not to sit too much, so stand up every 15 minutes and move a bit. You should do this on daily basis. Next, engage in HIIT and strength training. Those will shape your body, normalize your metabolism and make you stronger. Doing some core exercises will help you to have more power during interval training, and stretching will protect your joints and muscles from painful injuries. Give your best to train with your head and avoid measuring success in minutes or pounds.

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Also published on Medium.