Introduction
One of the things an individual should do for his/her body and mind is to exercise. It not only helps one maintain their physical fitness, but it also helps improve one’s happiness and vigour. Choosing the right exercise can at times be a daunting task particularly given the myriad exercises that are available. Here, we'll dive into the benefits of three popular forms of exercise: Body weight exercises, such as yoga, HIIT, and strength training.
The Power of Yoga
This practice is as old as thousands of years and was famous for the strengthening of the muscles and the easing of stress. This is an early way of exercising that entails use of physical movements, breathing practices, and mental control.
- Flexibility and Balance: On most of the occasions flexibility and balance are some of the key areas that gain from yoga exercises. Practising promotes flexibility of the tightened muscles, which enable easy execution of day to day physical exercises without necessarily feeling aches.
- Stress Relief: Yoga is also very good for stress management and for including relaxation into your schedule. The techniques involved in this activity such as deep breathing assist in soothing the mind and lessening anxiety. If you often get stressed and cannot train hard, then you need gentle yoga.
- Strength and Toning: This is a misconception; although most of the movements appear rather slow, yoga can also assist with the toning of muscles. Posing like the plank or warrior position involves the strengthening of your muscles and hence helps in increasing their mass and strength.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Maximizing Efficiency
HIIT is characterized by a series of short executions of vigorous activities with some form of recovery in between. This type of training is ideal for those who have no time or short time to train but at the same time wish to have a good session.
- Calorie Loss: One of the great advantages of HIIT is that it allows you to burn a large number of calories in very little time. As you are pushing your body to the limits, a 20-minute session is enough for more work than what you may be able to do in an hour of mild movement.
- Heart Health: HIIT is a great form of cardiovascular exercise. Your heart rate rapidly increases, which can assist in strengthening the efficiency of your heart over time.
Strength Training
Resistant, or strength training includes various exercises to improve muscular power and endurance.
- Muscle Mass: If you want to add muscle, strength training is your best option. Muscle Atrophy is a fact of the Aging process but Consistent Strength Training can combat Muscle loss and allow movement maintenance into our senior years.
- Bone Health: Lifting weights can also help build your bones, lowering the risk of osteoporosis. This is especially important as we age and our bones become weaker.
- Metabolism: Strength training helps to keep your metabolism faster than with cardio. Muscle burns more calories, even at rest compared to fat tissue, which means the bigger muscles you have, the higher your calorie burn throughout the day.
The Bottom Line
The relaxing pace of a yoga class, the high-intensity movements in an HIIT workout or targeted reps and sets from strength training each offer their own set of health benefits. The greatest exercise in the world is one that you will continue to do on a regular basis and for most people, this means activities they enjoy.
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