How many times have you made a promise to exercise in the morning and then a couple hours later when you get up, you don’t feel like moving your body?

While this can happen to the best of us, it doesn’t mean you’ll completely neglect any effort there is to staying fit. Being active and getting proper nutrition are critical elements of your health and well-being.

How do you teach your body what you want it to work on? Do you want to burn fat to slim down or tone your muscles to gain a bit of weight?

Customizing a workout plan that’s right for you makes it easier for you to commit to adopting an active and healthier lifestyle. You don’t have to push yourself to do intense fitness routines if your body doesn’t really need them. Find out first what results you’d like to achieve and then pick the physical activities that will help you reach your goals.

The true purpose of exercise is to let your body discover what you want to improve - your metabolism, muscle strength, or aerobic capacity. Each time you exercise, your body responds by developing its abilities to burn calories and strengthen those muscles. These physical activities don’t have to be intense - they just need to be consistent. This will help your body adapt and respond more effectively.

How to Adopt a More Active Lifestyle

If you’ve been in a slump for most of 2020 as you were trying to find your way around the new normal, now is the perfect time to get back up and move more!

You can start with cardiovascular exercise four times a week for 20 to 30 minutes and resistance training four times a week for 20 to 25 minutes. Incorporating cardio (aerobic) exercise strengthens the heart muscle, improves your lung capacity (the amount of oxygen intake), helps burn fat, and boosts your endurance. 

Resistance training increases lean body mass by beefing up the muscles, bones, and connective tissues. It also supports metabolism and burns off more calories. This training builds strength and endurance of muscles in the lower back, shoulders, chest, and arms. Like cardio training, strength exercises shouldn’t be done consecutively to let the muscles rest and recover.

Easy Workout Routine to Follow

Living an active lifestyle doesn’t always mean having a membership at an exclusive gym. You can stay active even just at home. Here’s a sample exercise routine you can follow: