It’s back to martial arts for me and the five mile walks home. I find walking good is it gives me time to think and it certainly stops me from sliding backwards but it doesn’t help me go forwards.
To really see improvement you need a certain level of intensity but before you go and try and do fifty press ups and bench 100kg, you need to consider where you actually need to improve. Is it your arms, is it your legs or is it your core?
For arms I personally do press ups. If I’m trying to up my game quickly for something like a fitness test coming up then I will try and increase it by one a day. This might be a bit much for some people but as long as I can motivate myself to do it, it is fine. The great thing about press ups is that you can do them anywhere. You don’t need to buy weights, you don’t need to force yourself outside on a cold day, you just find some space and go for it. There are a few ways of doing press ups as well. The closer your elbows are to you side, the harder it is. You can also try holding the position for a few seconds and then doing press ups or holding the position between press ups. Always remember to try and keep your back straight and go all the way down and up again.
For core you can do sit ups and leg raises. When doing sit ups, be careful you aren’t using your arms to drag yourself up. Lots of people use their arms to try and help them do sit ups but I’m sure you can see the problem in this. Leg raises are the really hard ones. You lie on your back feet together and raise your legs up and down. Try and keep your legs straight and toes pointed. It is a lot easier if you have a friend that you can hold onto for these but if not, put your hands beneath your buttocks.
For legs, squats are quite good. You can do a kick after each squat as well to bring things up a notch, If you have stairs in your house, put on a back pack (make sure it is on properly so you don’t injure yourself) and go up and down them.
burpees are good all rounders. Not everyone knowns what they are so I’ll explain. You start in a standing position, then you bend your legs and jump down into a press up position. You can make it a bit harder by then touching the floor with your chest. You then jump your legs forward and then stand or jump up.
If you really don’t have time for any of this, take up running. Instead of walking somewhere, run somewhere. If you get to the place too early run back a little way and then come back.
Of course you can do a little bit of all of this. I think most people should try and do at least 10 press ups, sit ups, leg raises and burpees a day. If you have the money and time, then definitely look around for a good martial art and join. It will teach you many useful things as well as keep you healthy.
Water and healthy eating is another good thing to look into but I won’t talk about that now.