Quality Versus Quantity
Why is this idea important?
It's common for people to neglect form (biomechanics), breathing techniques or the sequence of exercises they're performing, especially when they know they won't be in a swimsuit anytime soon. People often just want to move some weights around and hope for the best, but this is rarely a recipe for success.
If your goal is to maintain your fitness, it's important to focus on muscular endurance and strength while simultaneously challenging your cardiorespiratory system. A great way to do this is to perform compound exercises that require effort from multiple muscles and joints at once.
More: 11 Creative Compound Exercises to Try
Importance of Compound Exercises
Compound exercises force your heart and lungs to work harder to supply blood, oxygen and nutrients to those areas. This results in a more intense and efficient workout.
An example of a compound exercise would be performing a stationary lunge while simultaneously doing a curl to a shoulder press.
When you're coming up out of the lunge, curl the dumbbells up and then press them over your head. As you lower the weights, you go back into the lunge by dropping your knee.
The lower body contains the largest muscle groups in the body, so by combining them with other movements, you're better able to tax your heart and lungs and achieve a higher calorie-burning workout.
The Takeaway
Arguably the most important thing you can do to maintain your fitness is to efficiently devise a plan and stay consistent with it. If you can do both of these, you're more likely to avoid the dreaded fall and winter weight gain.
You want to set yourself up for success, so plan the work and work the plan.
More: 20 Motivational Fitness Quotes
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