Monday

International Fitness Week starts today – what will you do to increase your fitness?

It can be as simple as using the stairs instead of the lift or as elaborate as completely changing what you do at the gym.

To celebrate International Fitness Week, each day we will provide tips & workout ideas for you to try.  Where better to start than at the beginning of every programme – the warm up.  Remember, before any activity, you must warm up to get some blood pumping and to help prevent injury.

The problem with most trainers is that their warm-ups are either way too long or they just stick you on a treadmill (do you really want to pay £50 per session for someone to stand next to you)?  A good warm-up should:

  • Raise your body temperature
  • Get you in the right mindset i.e. gets you focused and ready to move
  • Wake up your muscles, tendons and central nervous system
  • Elongate the muscles that tend to get tight
  • Allow you to lift heavier, run faster etc

I also have my own theory about warm-ups – if you are not sweating within the first 5 minutes then it is not going to be an effective fat-loss workout.  The warm-up is part of your workout and should be taxing.

5 Minute Fat-Loss Warm-Up

  • 30 second double foot speed skipping
  • 30 seconds hand walk outs
  • 30 seconds hip hinge hamstring stretch
  • 30 seconds alternate foot speed skipping
  • 30 seconds alternate foot spiderman
  • 30 seconds bent over T-Spine rotation
  • 30 seconds double foot speed skipping
  • 30 seconds alternate chest mobilisation
  • 30 second overhead alternate lunge
  • 30 seconds alternate foot speed skipping

 

N.B.  Speed skipping means trying to skip as fast as you can

 

Once you are warmed up go for that walk or change what you do in the gym. Do something different for International Fitness Week

About David & Carol Petersen

David & Carol Petersen run Results by Design Personal Training - a personal training gym in Clapham at 292 Battersea Park Road SW11 - Call 020 3551 6739 today to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation session and discover how we can help you or complete the blue form on the right hand side of our blog and we will call you. We provide one to one personal triaining, group personal training, classes as well as bespoke healthy eating plans and more. We help our clients lose body fat, tone and sculpt their body and look great outside while feeling great inside.