7 signs you are due for a training session
It’s not everyone who enjoys working out. Yet, it has to be noted that exercising is essential to be healthy. It is not without reason that it is suggested that adults do 30 minutes or more of moderate to intense physical activity every week. There are many ways to stay active: you can opt for a gym membership or practise a sport you enjoy on a regular basis, like yoga or running. In any case, the important thing to remember is to move! If you don’t enjoy doing sports and you have no motivation to whip yourself back into shape, here are a few signs your body is sending you that might convince you to get off the couch.
You can’t do one push-up
Even though doing push-ups is not fun, it is a great way to know if you’re in good physical condition. In fact, this exercise requires a lot of upper body strength, which is a great way to evaluate whether you are healthy or not. Someone who often works out should be able to do many push-ups without a problem, which is not necessarily the case for someone who spends all their weekends on the couch. Normally, according to a ladder elaborated by Verywell, anyone 50 years and younger should easily do between 5-10 push-ups. If this isn’t the case for you, you should probably consider replacing a 30-minute tv session with a 30-minute training session.
Your heart beats really fast when you do the slightest physical effort
If walking up three flights of stairs causes your heart to beat really fast and requires a long recovery period, which means it takes a long time before your heartbeat returns to a steady rhythm, this is not a good sign. Indeed, if you were in good physical condition, your heart would beat very fast but recover just as quickly. It would, therefore, require less effort to walk up three floors.
You have excess body fat
It is important that you take the time to measure your waist to know if you have an excess of body fat and, if necessary, make some lifestyle changes. It is suggested not to exceed 35 inches in circumference if you’re a woman. Men should not have a larger waist circumference of 40 inches.
You can’t go up your office stairs
Walking up stairs is tiring, whether you’re going up three or six stories. However, if you can’t go up the three flights of stairs at work because it takes too much physical effort, you should probably improve your cardio. To do this, you can start by taking short walks and increase, progressively, the length as well as the distance. Eventually, you will be able to jog. You can also practice other sports like swimming or biking.
You have a sweet tooth
Surprisingly, people that do sports don’t necessarily feel like eating after a workout. At least that is what a study involving 30 active adults. It is quite the contrary. Less active people feel like eating more and are more prone to eating sugary foods than people who exercise regularly. If you have a sweet tooth, go to the gym to avoid eating candy and chocolate in front of the television when you’re not even really hungry.
You constantly feel exhausted
To fight fatigue you obviously need a good night’s sleep. If, despite this, you still feel tired then why not try to include some training session in your routine? This way, you’ll have more energy. You don’t need to go to the gym during your lunch hour. You can, for example, go for a 20-minute walk with some of your colleagues. There are tons of other methods to increase your energy levels.
Your resting heart beat is high
If your resting heart beat is high, it is a sign you need to renew your gym membership. Indeed, this means that your heart uses a lot of energy even in a calm situation. Imagine, then, when you ask it to start working! Normally, you should have between 60 and 100 heartbeats per minute when you’re rested. You can obviously improve this situation by doing cardiovascular sports such as running or cycling. After all, your heart is a muscle. So you can make it stronger and more powerful!
If you recognize yourself in any of the above signs, you should probably consider integrating sports or training sessions at the gym into your routine. After only a few weeks, you will see your energy and concentration levels increase as well as your self-esteem. So you only have advantages to be more active on a daily basis!
Cover photo: Kevin Grieve/Unsplash