Sensei Talks  

Whether you’re a weekend warrior, a dedicated “gym rat” or a newbie to working out, incorporating different exercises into your routine can help prevent boredom, break plateaus and improve your overall level of fitness. Recently Fit Sugar reported on Web MD’s 7 most-effective-exercises.

The thing I like most about this list is that the majority of the exercises require little, if any equipment, and can be done almost anywhere (convenient for those of you who avoid the gym like the plague or simply prefer working out at home like I do). I also really like the fact that they incorporate cardiovascular as well as resistance training exercises that work most of the major muscle groups.

The exercise list includes walking, interval training, squats (my personal favorite), lunges, push-ups, abdominal crunches and bent over rows. If you’re already doing some of these exercises then I say “good for you”! If not, try throwing them into the mix and let me know how it goes.

Keep in mind that the human body adapts quickly, so if you’re not seeing as many changes as you did when you first started your exercise routine you need to try something new (a good reason to pull out the list!). Also, don’t forget the importance of a proper warm up and cool down in addition to stretching for flexibility (yoga works great…hint, hint!).

- Lauren