Many physical exercises are that the workouts
can be effectively accomplished at home with a minimum amount of home fitness equipment
and facility, all of it inexpensive. Let’s discuss what kinds of home fitness equipment
you need to start the workout in the following paragraphs.
1) Comfortable Workout Clothing
Workout clothing is most comfortable when
it moves with you without constraint. You might choose clothing with a relaxed
fit or, conversely, a form-fitting outfit that stretches when you move, such as
fabric containing Lycra and spandex. Clothing that binds at the waist, hips,
knees, or any where else will limit your range of motion. Also, you are
encouraged to wear garments that inspire grace—performing the workout in your
underwear or sleep-wear may not be the best choice!
2) Athletic Footwear
The Podiatry Network (podiatrynetwork.com)
suggests the following guidelines when selecting an athletic shoe on the basis
of the type of feet.
•Choose a
comfortable athletic shoe, such as a cross-training shoe, that provides arch
support and makes you feel that you're standing on a solid foundation.
•All shoes are
constructed over a form called a last. The shape of the last can follow more or
less of a straight line. Choose a last that follows the shape of your foot.
•Consider
athletic shoes that arc relatively rigid in the heel portion as heel stability
is of prime importance.
•Twist the
shoe with both hands to be sure that it is fairly flexible, or "twisty"
in the forefoot area. If the forefront portion of the shoe remains too rigid,
your big toe will be unable to Ilex as the heel comes off the ground during
walking and running. Adequate movement of the big toe joint is important for
normal foot function.
•Your feet and
the shoes you wear can have a major effect on your body mechanics. Place the
shoe on a firm, flat surface and check to be sure that the back of the heel is
relatively perpendicular to the surface. An angle in one direction or another
could indicate a defect in the shoe.
•Put your hand
inside the shoe and check for prominent seams or other irregularities that have
the potential to cause irritation.
Wearing the same shoes every day will
magnify a small problem. Rotating a couple pairs of shoes at a time can be
helpful in prolonging the comfort of your feet and the life of your shoes.
Please note that you should explore
nonsurgical options before considering corrective foot surgery, and your own
physician will help you make that decision. In many cases, a properly designed
intervention, such as an orthotic device, can eliminate pain and improve
mobility without surgery and continue to regularly use orthotics in my shoes to
improve my body mechanics. You may need a prescription for custom-made
orthotics, or you may find that a less-expensive store-bought model works just
fine.
3) Towel or Exercise Mat
A well-cushioned exercise mat is preferable
so that you don't feel the floor during floor exercises. It is never a good
idea to exercise on a hard surface without cushioning. You will create an
unnecessary obstacle that prevents you from doing your best.
4) Dumbbells
Your
strength and vitality will fluctuate from day to day. Therefore, having
dumbbells available in varied weight increments allows you to customize dumbbell
workouts. The physical exercises using relatively light weights with multiple
repetitions to create muscle tone rather than bulk. Begin with sets of three-,
five-, and eight-pound weights. If you have never exercised with resistance,
you may want to begin without dumbbells, so that you may focus on practicing
correct form. Keep your equipment in a conveniently accessible spot, perhaps an
attractive basket in your living room.
Begin
each dumbbell workouts with weights that provide a challenge while allowing you
to maintain correct form. You can always switch to a lighter set if the fatigue
compromises correct form. As you become stronger, you have the option to
increase the resistance by combining weights. You can crisscross the dumbbells
in your hand, but resist the urge to weave your fingers through the weights.
You
can purchase dumbbells at sporting goods stores or at most discount-type
stores. The physical trainers advise against improvising with water bottles,
food cans, and the like, as they arc not ergonomically suited to the movements,
and they will cause you to compromise your form and perhaps stress your joints
through dumbbell workouts.
5) Small Rubber Ball
A small rubber ball is a useful tool to
promote proper body alignment and add intensity to particular exercises. Please
note it is not referring to a weighted ball (medicine ball) but rather a
playground-type ball (seven to nine incites in diameter) that is available at
most local sundry or discount stores.
6) Leg Weights
Leg weights are an option to add intensity
to lower-body exercises. The physical trainers recommend that you purchase leg
weights with a strap long enough for placement above the knee as well as at the
ankle. Choose leg weights that arc variable, which means that you can add
resistance as your endurance increases.
7) Water and All Sport Drink
The weight loss was due to decreased fluid
rather than decreased body fat. Exercising in a hot, humid environment will
make you naturally sweat more with greater losses of water and electrolytes. It
is important to replace fluids as they are lost to prevent dehydration.
Actually water makes up about 60 percent of your body's weight and is critical
to carrying out the normal functions of every system in your body. Dehydration,
or lack of water, indicates an insufficient amount of fluid in the body to
transport nutrition and oxygen to the tissues.
It is clearly important to drink the right
amount of the right fluids for peak performance and safety during exercise—before
and after also count. The physical trainers suggest that it is preferable to
drink plain water or fluids without sugar, caffeine, or alcohol, and drinking
fluids cooler than air temperature encourages faster absorption, and if you arc
not drinking pure water, you need to read labels. So-called energy drinks or all
sport drink arc high in sugar and caffeine with the addition of exotic herbal
ingredients such as guarana, taurine, ginseng, and ginkgo. Sports drinks fill a
different niche in that they are formulated to replenish electrolytes and other
nutrients lost during exercise lasting longer titan ninety minutes. Have plenty
of water or all sport drink on hand before, during, and after each workout. Remember,
once you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated, so the trick is to stay
hydrated from within and drink water and all sport drink before you are
thirsty. Eight cups of drinks daily is a general guideline.
