It is an age-old discussion – which is the best fitness method, cardio training or weight-training. The first thing to say is that both methods of training do different things and are good for you in different ways and under different circumstances. They are also not mutually exclusive, they both contain an element of each other, so cardio activities will hold an element of resistance work, while weight-training will comprise some aerobic activity.
As you throw yourself whole-heartedly into your new gym routine, you start to get niggling injuries, you feel tired and lethargic or after a few weeks you simply can’t be bothered. These are all common problems that people encounter when they start a new fitness regime. The good news is, they are challenges that, once identified, are easily overcome.
Shoulder pain and shoulder weakness is a prevalent condition in women as they hit middle age. The good news is that many issues with the shoulder can be relieved by exercise and the more exercise you do, the better it is for the shoulder.
A well-structure boot camp class can help meet the recommendations for physical activity in healthy adults. It provides both aerobic and strength training and combines moderate and vigorous exercise.
Speed and agility are two qualities that are needed in a wide range of sports and everyday activities. Rugby, football, hockey, badminton, basketball – any sport that involves changes of direction, varied speed or balance maintenance, will benefit from its players working to improve speed and agility.
We all know that one of the benefits of exercise is the release of the ‘feel-good’ endorphins, a powerful, naturally occurring substance that makes you feel elated and full of energy, despite just taking part in strenuous activity that should have made you feel tired.
Endorphins have actually been called the body’s natural opiate and scientists believe they react with specialised receptors in the brain and spinal column to hinder or block cells’ transmission of pain signal and trigger feelings of euphoria.
For people with long-term health issues, regular exercise can be a daunting prospect. Just getting to a gym or a fitness class can be an effort, let alone actually putting a body that is constantly in pain through yet more stress.
However, advice from health, fitness and medical professionals all suggest that doing regular exercise can help alleviate many of the symptoms and pain suffered by people with chronic conditions.
H.I.I.T stands for High Intensity Interval Training and the idea behind this type of fitness session is to work as hard as you can for a set period of time, with very little rest in between each set. It is a great option because it can be adapted to suit your fitness level and fitness requirements.
The Free Weight Gym tends to attract people who are very serious about their exercise programme. Found on the same floor as the Kelsey Kerridge reception and Climbing Wall, the Free Weights Gym is an area dedicated to people who want to use free weights to build muscle, tone existing muscle and develop strength in parts or all of their body.
The sandbag – it is often the overlooked piece of kit on the gym floor, largely because people are unaware of how effective this simple piece of equipment can be. Go to the functional fitness area of the Outlooks Gym and you will see it – a bag shaped like a duffel bag. But just how challenging can that be? Well, the answer is ‘very’.
