Physical activity or exercise has many benefits for body health, both for maintaining physical fitness and mental health. However, many people feel confused or lazy to start a physical activity routine. Actually, physical activity can be done in a simple and fun way, and can be adjusted to your abilities and goals.
Here is a guide on how to do healthy and effective physical activities.
1. Determine the Goal of Physical Activity
Before starting physical activity, it is important to determine the goal you want to achieve. Is your goal to improve fitness, lose weight, increase muscle strength, or simply maintain heart health? Setting clear goals will help you determine the right type of physical activity.
General fitness goals: To improve overall physical fitness, cardio exercises such as walking, running, or cycling can be a good choice.
Specific goals: If you want to focus on increasing muscle strength or endurance, weight training or yoga can help achieve these goals.
2. Start with a Warm-up
Warming up is a very important step before doing physical activity. Warming up helps your body adjust to more strenuous activities, and reduces the risk of injury. Warming up can be done with light movements that involve the whole body, such as walking or jogging slowly, followed by stretching the muscles.
Example of warming up: Walk for 5-10 minutes in an open area, or do light stretching movements to activate your body's muscles.
3. Choose the Right Type of Physical Activity
There are various types of physical activities that you can choose according to your interests, abilities, and goals. Physical activity does not have to be done in the gym, but can be done at home or outdoors.
Cardio exercise: This exercise increases your heart rate and helps increase your body's stamina. Examples include walking, running, cycling, or swimming. Do at least 150 minutes per week with moderate intensity, or 75 minutes per week with high intensity.
Strength training: Weight training such as lifting dumbbells, push-ups, or squats can help build muscle and increase your body's metabolism. slot online
Flexibility training: Yoga or Pilates are very good for increasing body flexibility, reducing stress, and improving body balance.
Balance exercises: Activities such as tai chi or simple balance exercises are great for improving posture and reducing the risk of injury.
4. Determine the Frequency and Duration of Exercise
The frequency and duration of exercise depend largely on your goals and current fitness level. If you are just starting out, try to do physical activity gradually.
Beginners: Start with light physical activity such as walking for 15-20 minutes a day, and increase the duration slowly.
Recommended frequency: To get the most health benefits, try to do physical activity at least 3-5 times per week, with a duration of 30-60 minutes per session.
Exercise variation: Don't be afraid to try different types of exercise to keep your workouts fun and avoid boredom.
5. Focus on Correct Technique
When doing physical activities, it is important to focus on correct technique to avoid injury and get maximum results. For example, when doing strength training, make sure your body position is stable and pay attention to the movements you are doing.
Pay attention to posture: Keep your back straight when doing weight training, and make sure your feet are in the right position so as not to put too much stress on your joints or muscles.
Take it slow: Don't rush through your workout. Slow, controlled movements are more effective in building muscle and preventing injury.
6. Don't Forget to Cool Down
After you've finished doing physical activity, don't just stop. Cooling down is very important to help your body return to normal, as well as prevent muscle stiffness and pain after exercise. You can cool down by walking slowly or stretching to help relax the muscles that have been used.
Example of a cool down: After running, try to walk slowly for 5 minutes, and stretch the muscles in your legs, arms, and back.
7. Consistency is Key
The main key to effective physical activity is consistency. Try to make physical activity part of your daily routine, even if it's only a few minutes each day. Start with realistic goals and increase the intensity gradually.