Outdoor Fitness - Visit us online www.outfit.ie
Outdoor Fitness
T
his month we are going to look at some ways to get the very most out of your time spent exercising. Let’s face it; there are very few people who actually enjoy the act of exercising. It is hard work (at least, it should be!), it takes up your free time and often it can be a number of weeks before the results are obvious! What people do enjoy about exercising are the benefits that are gained when effort and commitment is put into their workouts. This is why it is a very good idea to learn how to get the most out of your time spent exercising – the less time you have to spend working out, the more likely you are to do it! First off, and most importantly, planning! It seems a simple concept but you would be amazed how many people don’t have any idea what they will do before they begin their workout. The first thing I do when designing a programme for a client is to determine a goal or goals which must be 2 things: specific and timed. “I want to lose weight.” No good. It must have an end date otherwise I guarantee you will stop exercising in a couple of weeks. It is very difficult to motivate yourself unless there is an end in sight. “I want to lose one inch from my waist by Joanne’s wedding in October.” Perfect! Now our specific goal has a timescale. By the time Joanne’s wedding has come around you start again and say “OK, now I want to be able to run a 10k by Christmas” This gives you something
to aim for and also something to say you achieved afterwards. Next decide how much time you can dedicate to a workout. If it’s an hour, half an hour or only ten minutes then so be it. If your goal is weight loss, you need to do 20-30 minutes of vigorous cardio exercise per day. Everyone’s situation is going to be different but this is a general rule of thumb. Cardio is any exercise that raises your heart rate and gets you sweating e.g. walking, jogging, swimming, cycling. You also want to include some resistance training. Resistance training is anything that works the muscles e.g. sit-ups, press ups, lunges. Outdoor gyms are becoming so popular because they make it easier to exercise. The various machines allow you to do your cardio and your resistance exercises, all set away from the stuffy, often uncomfortable atmosphere in a traditional gym. Next month we will look at some more ways to maximise results from your workout. Until then try to put into practice some of the techniques outlined above and see how they can help you to get to where you want to be! If you would like an outdoor gym installed in your area, you can talk to your local councillor or community development groups! There are grants and funding available all the time for these projects and it just takes someone to get the ball rolling! It could be you!
Machine of the Month:
The Fitness Rider
Function: This is cardiovascular piece of equipment. It works all joints and muscles and provides excellent all over toning. We recommend spending between 5 and 15 minutes at the beginning and end of each workout.
Method: Sit down on the seat and grip rubber handles. Place feet on pedals. Pull arms towards chest and press feet out. Revert to original position.
Outfit is Irelands first Outdor Gym Installation Specialist. We cover everything from site design to equipment supply, installation and maintenance.
WWW.OUTFIT.IE CALL 086-2147236
An Outfit installation at Suifinn Way housing estate in Ballycastle, North Mayo
Page 15 Mature Living July 2012