The importance of physical fitness cannot be overestimated. Modern society, with its working from home and Netflix marathons, is becoming more and more sedentary, making it challenging to maintain healthy cardiovascular fitness levels and body weight.
Keeping active delivers a host of benefits that include:
Greater endurance, Improved muscle tone and strength Reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure Relief of tension, anxiety, depression and anger.
You don’t have to be an athlete with a rigid training schedule to become fit. Some form of daily movement into your routine can have amazing benfits to both mental and physical health.
1. Start moving more begin each day with the determination to be more active. Instead of eating lunch at your desk or while on a Zoom meeting, get up and take a walk in the park.
Consider the energy that we expend when we're not sleeping, eating or exercising. This is considered non-exercise activity thermogenesis also known as NEAT is increased when we make small changes to our lifestyle like walking instead of driving or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. If you need to speak with a coworker, walk over to their desk instead of picking up the phone or sending an email. There are literally dozens of ways you can incorporate more movement into your day, even if you spend a lot of it at the office.
2. Schedule regular exercise sessions. Make time for exercise on a regular basis, even if it’s only for 15 minutes at a time. Mark sessions on your calendar like any other important appointment and stick to them. Over time, a 15-minute stroll can graduate to an energizing 30-minute power walk. If you prefer swimming, dancing, or other forms of exercise, apply the same principle: show up, start small, and build gradually. Activities that are especially good for cardiovascular health include: Cycling, Dancing and simply going for a run.
3. Choose exercises that are right for you. Making it to the gym isn’t difficult, but actually enjoying the exercises and incorporating them into a regular fitness schedule is more challenging. This is why you need to identify exercises that you enjoy enough to stay motivated. Try a variety of options until you find a few that energize you. Soon the famous ‘burn’ will become a feeling of accomplishment.
4. Include strength training in your weekly fitness routine. Strength training not only builds lean muscle- it can also improve your cardiovascular health. Moderate-intensity strength lowers blood pressure, reduces cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and controls visceral fat, also known as ‘belly fat’. Exercises that you can do at home and the gym include:
Push-ups, Arm curls using a dumbbell or other weight Sit-ups, Squats and Lunges.
5. Take a supplement that supports increased energy and endurance levels
The right supplement makes it easier to reap the benefits of regular exercise. activ-X from Platinum Naturals is an award-winning sports supplement that helps create the energy you need to accomplish your fitness goals, achieve a healthy body weight, and improve cardiovascular fitness. Ginseng, rhodiola and cordyceps keep energy and stamina levels high while rhodiola, milk thistle and antioxidant support support a faster post-workout recovery. Platinum Naturals’ Superior Nutrient Absorption enables better absorption, letting you benefit 100% from every dose.
Follow these steps to make exercise a regular part of your life. You’ll look great, feel even better, and in general reap the benefits of a healthy heart and body.