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How to Use the Gym Wisely

23rd August, 2009 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Everyone wants to be in shape and a big part of your fitness plan should be going to the gym. But you can’t just go to the gym without knowing what you’re doing, because you could pull a muscle, seriously hurt yourself and if you don’t take the proper precautions like wearing shoes in the locker room you may have to get NYC toenail fungus removal or NYC laser toenail fungus removal.

The first thing you will want to consider when going to the gym is which gym you want to become a member of, and you should consider how the cost compares to what you will get in terms of facilities. If you want to swim you should make sure they offer open swim at times that are convenient for you and if you want to lift, make sure they have the right machines if you know what those are, and if you need or want instruction or a class make sure they offer those at reasonable times and prices.

When you go to the weight room make sure that you stretch before you start, and often it is a good idea to jog some on the treadmill to get your heart going and to warm you up a little before you start. Start slowly and do some repetitions that are easy first and don’t try to max out immediately because you get nothing from your workout and will probably end up injuring yourself. If you are working to build up a lot of muscle, then you will want to try to do less repetitions of more and more weight, and this will help you build muscle quickly. If you are trying not so much to build muscle but to tone your muscles you will want to do many repetitions of relatively easy weight, and slowly increase the amount you are doing as well as the number of repetitions.

It is a good idea to know what part of your body you are going to work on that day because that way you can make sure that some part of your body gets a good work out every time that you are there and that you don’t just wander from machine to machine without getting anything accomplished. You may also want to set up a schedule for what activities you will want to do every day that you are there, because it can be a good idea so that you can alternate between something like lifting weights and swimming or running so you can get a good mix of aerobic and anaerobic workouts. Running is one of the best ways to burn of unwanted calories and one of the simplest ways as well. Classes like yoga or biking classes or dancing classes can improve flexibility, reduce pain and relieve stress, improving your overall health and making you feel better. Swimming can be a terrific workout and you can go at your own pace, and this can also be a relaxing way to cool off after a big workout.