It takes commitment, sweat, and mental and physical pain to get through the journey of fitness, health and total wellness, but just how hard do you need to push it in a workout for it to actually be effective? There are so many workout plans, diets, pills and supplements that promise you the body of your dreams. You may reach the point where you have no idea what to do or which products to use.
The “big secret” being kept from you is that you don’t need any of that stuff. You just need to get your mind and muscles engaged. The easiest way I can break it down is: Spend 30 minutes, four times a week, doing cardio. In other words, spend this time getting your heart pumping.
You may not have access to a heart rate monitor, so you need to learn to listen to your body. If you’re literally about to vomit, stop. If you feel like you could belt out a Ruben Studdard smash hit, take it down a notch. Also, take note that I am speaking to people just beginning a workout regimen.
Once you’re comfortable exercising four times a week for 30 minutes, add some weight training. This can be as easy as using the machines at the gym. I hate going into the weight room, so I like to do calisthenics (using your own body weight) and polymetrics (jump training). You’ll find it quite effective to do some old school moves: crunches, lunges and squats, and add in some jumps after your push-ups or squats. You can do this in your dorm room, the park, in class, the quad, basically wherever. If you’re too intimidated to go into the weight room, you can still improve your cardiovascular health in the privacy of your own home or moldy dorm.
Advertisments have fooled us into thinking that we need the newest pair of toning shoes, sports bra or sports drink to get an effective workout in. Shoes with springs in them, clothes that wick off sweat, GPS watches, heart rate monitors, protein powders, diet pills and whatever else the media have made you think you need aren’t absolute necessities. Look up the Tarahumara running tribe. These people murder ultra-marathons (think 50 to 100 miles) in bare feet. Last night, I ran around in the murder capital of Louisiana in sparkly flats because I couldn’t find my sneakers. All you need is your body, the motivation and a little bit of knowledge.
Caitlin Spieker is a sociology senior and personal trainer who is working on a certification from the American College of Sports Medicine. She can be reached at [email protected]
