Kent Sport health and fitness instructor Sarah Black advises how you should prioritise and plan your time exercising.
Do you ever wonder to yourself, is my workout effective? Am I doing the correct exercise programme? Are the benefits paying off? At times we can see regression in our workouts, possibly no results or lack of adherence and we wonder what is going on. We all question our own routines and try to figure out what the best course of action; if any should be taken to improve our fitness. The quality of your programme is the key factor that will determine your progression pathways. Ensure you don’t lie victim to training plateaus.
Goals
Always first determine the main objective of your training. What do you want to achieve? If it is aerobic endurance; then cardio and aerobic training needs to be prioritised amongst other principles. If you want to work on your strength; muscle hypertrophy should be placed on your programme depending on what results you want to see. For core and stability, perhaps Yoga and Pilates with group exercise can be a consideration. The type of exercise is always specific to your goal. For example if you want to do a Sprint Triathlon, then anaerobic type of exercises that practice the disciplines of brick training, swim, bike and run should be focused upon. It will be easier to effectively plan your program when you have identified your goals.
Time
How long do you have to commit to exercising for? If you are short of time, then a HIIT type of training workout is perhaps more suited to you? Time is a virtue and you need to make sure that every minute counts and the quality of your training is spent utilising the precious time you do have. Perhaps following a teacher in a group would be more beneficial, even a Personal Trainer if you can afford it? This will ensure you get the most out of your time.
Intensity
If you have weight loss in mind and think a long continuous cardio session is todays plan; then end up cruising at comfort and texting and chatting for the entire session, I am afraid to say that would be classed as more of an active social, not a cardio session. For health benefits they recommend training at 55-65% of your maximum heart rate for at least 60 minutes, five days a week. For cardiovascular benefits then 30/40 minutes at +75% of your maximum heart rate for 3 days a week would see some gains in aerobic fitness. Tailor make your sessions and utilise your time effectively.
Type
Make it specific to your sport, interest and goals. If you are training for a sport then you need to practise and mimic the sports techniques and structure. If you are training for health purposes then a soup of different types and modes of exercises will be highly beneficial. Such as circuits, whole body approach programmes, making sure you target all aspects will be an advantage to your fitness. If you do not enjoy the gym or exercising alone, then might I suggest group exercise? Get involved in classes or team sports that make your training more variable and suited to your personality.
Here at Kent Sport the first type of appointment we have on offer is an Initial Fitness Consultation. At this meeting you will discuss your background and health history with a Trainer. They can then refer you on to another appointment such as receiving a Programme, Nutrition Consultations, Personal Training or Fitness Testing. If you can invest a small amount in your well being then I highly recommend you look into receiving further guidance and advice on the best route you can take towards optimising your fitness.
We are always happy to help. The next time you are at the Sports Centre enquire about the various appointments we have and after further detailing your targets we can recommend you the appropriate appointment. To keep up to date and involved, follow UniKentSports on Twitter or like us on Facebook.