No Pain, NO Gain?
Who Say’s Exercise Has to Hurt?
Both men and women in the gym hear this phrase – no pain, no gain. Who says exercise has to hurt to get results? Trainers agree that pain is not required for a successful workout. In fact, pain can be a warning sign of an exhausted muscle or torn ligament.
There is no “best” way to get fit. You need to bring cardio and resistance training into your exercise routine and eat a healthy diet. To keep things interesting, try to make exercising fun. For example, find the kid in you and play outdoors – run around with your kids, play baseball. Get a group of friends together for a friendly game of softball. For women in the gym, take advantage of the many classes ladies only gyms offer. These classes offer a well-rounded workout, and they are fun. Whatever exercise you choose, whether it's abdominal or arm exercises for women, if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. Remember, wear comfortable and appropriate workout wear for the exercise you are doing. Consider these classes that you can find at your gym. Women, especially like these exercises:
Zumba
Its fun, it’s different and it’s aerobic. The hour-long class features interval training sessions where fast and slow rhythms and resistance training are combined to tone and sculpt your body while burning fat. Throw in some Latin flavor and international zest, and you’ve got Zumba!
Pilates
Pilates strengthens muscles, increases flexibility and improves overall health. It focuses on the core postural muscles, which keep the body balanced and are essential in providing support for the spine. Exercises are performed on a mat and on specially designed equipment. Pilates involves exercises for every part of the body – leg, buttocks and arm exercises; and applications for every kind of activity.
Yoga
Many people think that yoga is just about stretching. But while stretching is involved, yoga is about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits. Yoga is a low-impact exercise, but very effective.
Spinning This is a great way to get in a vigorous workout – not only do you burn calories but you keep your muscles in shape. An aerobic exercise, you pedal on a specially designed stationary bicycle to motivating music. You climb up long hills, jump and sprint on your ride. Spinning burns serious calories – an average of 450 in 45 minutes – and tones your quadriceps and outer thigh muscles. Because you stay in one place, there is no stress on the knees or back.
Belly Dancing Considered a weight-bearing, low-impact exercise, belly dancing uses muscles in the abdomen, pelvis, trunk, spine, and neck. This is due to the hip drops, rolls, and pivots of this dance form. Belly dancing also improves posture and muscle toning. If you are concerned about arm exercises, your shoulders and arms get a great workout, too, from performing lifts, circles and the rippling motions of snake arms. Depending on the intensity of the workout, you can burn up to 300 calories.
While many of these exercises can be done at home, more often women in the gym enjoy the support and social aspect of doing exercises together.
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