Do you ever question yourself when you are working out at the gym?
Wanting good form and optimizing your every move is an intelligent way to stay fit and healthy.
We know it takes a lot of work to remember every proper position, the right size dumbbell, and to set up a machine correctly. Also, what warm-up exercises and what to do to your body after a workout? Don’t worry; we are here to help you maximize your workouts!
But that’s okay! You have the right intention, and that is half the battle. The other half is to ensure you are reaping the rewards of your time spent at the gym and the hard work you put in.
Right now, you may look forward to 2023 and start planning your year after a few months with an exercise routine.
Whether it’s a vacation to Acropolis, a new garden, Disney with the grandkids, or significant life events like retirement, you want to feel healthy and strong.
To help you have a solid exercise routine this year, we have written this blog containing 5 easy ways to reach your fitness goals in 2023.
5 Quick Tips To Maximize Your Workouts
Do A Dynamic Warm-Up
If you jump into a workout without warming up, it increases the likelihood of doing exercises incorrectly and injuring yourself. By getting your body moving in a lighter capacity before the actual activity begins, you will increase blood flow to the muscles and synovial fluid in the joint. Not only are you literally heating your muscles, but you are also increasing the mobility of your joints! Examples: butt kicks, high knees, skips.
Every Exercise Is A Core Exercise
Have you ever wondered why you get back pain when you perform squats? Well, it’s likely you need to engage your core when squatting properly. You should not only work your core when performing “core-specific” exercises but also work your core when doing every exercise. It is imperative that your core stays engaged to avoid creating compensations. When other body parts compensate for a weak core, it always results in injury and pain.
Do lifestyle-relatable exercises
How often do you do a leg extension related to a function of your everyday life? For example, how often do you squat or kneel every day? Exercises like squatting and lunges are more translatable to your daily life and require you to activate more muscles than a leg extension. Multi-joint activities like a squat will maximize the efficiency of your workouts and make everyday movements easier.
Watch the video below to see Adam Johnson, PTA, show you the correct form for squats and lunges.
Pain Does Not Equal Gain
Before working out, you should understand the difference between muscle soreness and pain. We should feel soreness in the muscles after a workout, indicating that our muscles are growing. That is a good thing.
If you feel a sharp pain or extreme soreness in your bones or muscles you were not intending on using, you likely were not performing the exercise correctly, or you “overdid” it.
That isn’t a good thing.
Understanding the difference between these two is imperative to your success in your fitness journey.
How Physical Therapy Can Help You Kickstart Your Exercise Routine
We know getting out for your exercise every day may be a daunting experience for someone suffering from pain in their knees, back or neck, and shoulders.
If you have existing or reoccurring injuries, these also need to be treated to ensure that you can exercise safely and ensure that you can get fitter so you can go cycling with your friends, play with the grandchildren at the park, or take the dogs on long walks on the weekend.
At Houghton Physical Therapy, we offer free consultations where you can speak to a team member, ask questions, and find out what’s stopping you from getting the life you want.
Alternatively, you can call us at 508-223-2300 if you prefer to talk over the telephone.
Other Free Resources To Help Kickstart Your Exercise Routine
Click Here To Read – More Of Our Physical Therapy Blog Articles
Click Here To Read – 5 Tips For Increasing Energy and Decreasing Chronic Pain
We also have free, downloadable reports for people with Back Pain, Knee Pain, and Neck And Shoulder Pain.
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Tags: physical therapy, Maximize workout, Core exercise, lifestyle, exercise routine
