4 Ways to Achieve Your Fitness Goals

Another New Year, another new you.  That’s how the cycle goes.  As Dom Mazzetti once said, “This year I’m going to be hotter than the sand and bigger than the ocean.”  Gym memberships are purchased and you commit to waking up an hour earlier to exercise.  This is great, but what happens when you push it too hard?  You get hurt, you take a few days off to rest, then you never regain the positive momentum. You wait for the next year to come, or like some people, wait until March/April to get primed for bathing suit season.  There are ways to stay on top of your game and they are so easy it’s ridiculous.

Warm Up and Cool Down:

Don’t stretch before you warm up.  If you’re going to bench that day do some push-ups first, then bench the bar, then add some weight before you do your working weight.  Mobilize and stabilize after your routine; hip swings, hip circles, shoulder mobility, child’s pose…there are so many out there, google them or check out ours (http://www.anyspine.com/blog).

Start Slow:

When I say this, I mean it.  Whatever you think you can perform, half that for the first week or two so you can familiarize yourself with the motions of working out again.  If this is something new to you, it’s essential to slowly introduce these new movements, so you can do them correctly before you dig in.

Don’t Over Do It:

No two-a-days. Don’t spend more than an hour at the gym.  If your goal is to become healthy there is no need to train for three hours a day, especially at the start.

Seek Out Professional Advice:

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. No one wants to be the person performing an exercise wrong.  Get a few sessions with a personal trainer, or join a class in which they teach you the basics.  We have a plethora of athletic trainers and great gyms, so ask us, and we can advise you.

There are many ways to avoid injury, and these are just some.  They all seem obnoxiously obvious, but don’t discredit them.  As always, if it hurts, don’t do it, and seek professional help from us, or someone near you.  We all want to be successful in the New Year and putting these four bullet points into action will help you in the long run.

Share with friends and family who you know are trying to achieve a new fitness goal.

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