If you aware familiar with my message on social media, you know I am passionate about running sprints and lifting heavy weights. I am also passionate about short shorts and coffee... but that is for another post!
These 2 "magical" methods of increasing your fitness level still require hard work and showing up... but boy do they work!
1: Running Sprints
*don't look to the side like I am here... I was racing my wife in the minivan and she chose to gun it off the line.
Why do adults quit running sprints? Sprints are so beneficial. This form of exercise, unlike jogging, allows us to build muscle while doing cardio. Sprints: build muscle, burn fat, increase bone density, and are more time efficient than other forms of cardio. I also tell people that sprinting is the best ab exercise as you are having to fight to keep your torso stationary!
Try: 10x100m sprint or 20x40yd sprint
*Walk back for rest
***You must ease into sprinting to avoid injury
*hill sprints are lower impact (sprinting uphill)
*make sure you warm-up really good, don't "stretch," do a dynamic warm-up of leg swings, side lunges, walking lunges, solider marches, butt kicks, high knees, skipping, and then do 2-3 runs gradually increasing the pace
Check out my more in-depth article on the SFH Blog regarding the benefits of Sprinting!
2: Strength Training
Strength training is not just for athletes, powerlifters, bodybuilders, and "young people." I don't care if you're 75 years old. Strength training will improve your quality of life.
You have to challenge yourself with progressive overload. In order to see progress you must increase the weight and/ or amount of reps and sets you do over time. If you do the same workout with the same reps and weights forever, eventually you will stop seeing results.
The thing to remember is that it is all relative. Anyone can "push their limits." The 75 year old might do so by doing a machine chest press with 50 lbs, whereas a person in their prime might need 300 lbs on a bench press. Either way, both are getting better!
Strength training increases muscle mass, can increase your basal metabolic rate (meaning you burn more calories while at rest), increases bone density, can improve insulin sensitivity, and a host of other benefits!
If you're just getting started... start small and give yourself grace. Begin with the basics: squats, push-ups, planks, etc and master the easiest versions. From there progress to the more challenging versions over time.
Thanks for reading y'all,
Ben
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