5 Most Effective Exercises
However, consultants agree that not all exercises square measure created equal. Some square measure merely more practical than others, whether or not they target multiple muscle teams, square measure appropriate for a spread of fitness levels, or help you burn calories a lot effectively.
So what square measure the simplest exercises? We tend to pose this question to four fitness consultants and compiled their list of favorites.
1. Walk
Walking is something that can be done anywhere, anytime, without equipment, but with good shoes.
And it’s not just for beginners: even high-fitness folks can get good gait training.
“Doing brisk walking can burn up to 500 calories an hour,” says Robert Gottlieb, director of orthopedic and exercise rehabilitation at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. Since losing a pound of calories requires 3,500 calories, you can expect to lose one pound for every seven hours you walk if you do nothing else.
Don’t go from the sofa to walking for an hour every day. Richard Cotton, a spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise, says beginners should start walking 5 to 10 minutes at a time, gradually moving to at least 30 minutes per session.
Another tip: It’s best to lengthen your walk before increasing the speed or incline.
2. The training period
Whether you are a beginner or seasoned veteran, walker, or aerobic dancer, adding interval training to your cardiovascular workout will boost your fitness level and help you lose weight.
The way to do this is to push back the intensity or speed for a minute or two, then step back anywhere from 2 minutes to -10 minutes (depending on how long the total exercise will take and how much time you need to recover). Keep doing this throughout the exercise.
3. Pushups
Drop and give me 20! Pushups are among the most basic and effective bodyweight movements you can do due to the number of muscles you are recruiting to perform.
Begin laying the plank. Your core should be taut, shoulders stretched down and back, and your neck should be neutral.
Bend your elbows and start lowering your body to the ground. When your chest scratches it, extend your elbows and return to the start. Focus on keeping your elbows getting ready to your body whereas in motion.
Complete as many repetitions of the three sets as possible.
If you can’t perform a regular pushup exercise well, get down to putting a mod on your knees – you will continue to reap many of the benefits from this exercise as you build strength.
4. Squats
Squats increase lower body strength and core strength and flexibility in the lower back and hips. Since they engage some of the body’s largest muscles, they also pack a large number of calories burned.
Start standing straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides.
Brace your waist, keep your chest and chin up, push your hips back, and bend your knees as if you were sitting in a chair.
Ensure your knees do not bend in or out, slide down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, and bring your arms in front of you in a comfortable position.
Complete three sets of 20 reps.
5. Standing overhead dumbbell presses
Compound exercises, which use multiple joints and muscles, are ideal for busy bees because they work simultaneously on multiple parts of your body. Not only is a head push-up one of the best exercises you can do for your shoulders, but it also works your upper back and torso.
Equipment: 10-pound dumbbell
Choose a light set of dumbbells – we recommend starting at 10 pounds – and start standing, either with your feet shoulder-width apart or staggered. Move the weights over your head with the top of your arms parallel to the floor.
Line up your core, and start pushing until your arms are fully extended above your head. Keep your head and neck still.
After a short pause, bend your elbows and lower the weight down again until the triceps are parallel to the floor again.
Complete three sets of 12 reps.