We all lead extremely stressful lives today because of daily challenges we may face at work, in relationships and financial pressures due to high cost of living - trying to balance everything which may cause us to make poor lifestyle choices like an unhealthy diet, inadequate sleep and no physical activity. It is a proven fact that exercising regularly is one of the best habits one can practice in their daily lifestyles to improve overall health.
One of the most accessible physical activities is bodyweight exercise. Bodyweight exercise is the type of workout that utilizes one’s own bodyweight as resistance against gravity to build strength, flexibility and endurance. If you do not have the time to hit the gym, a simple bodyweight routine can be an excellent way to include a workout in your day and get your heart pumping. Another advantage of bodyweight exercises is that they can easily become a part of one’s daily routine, as these exercises require no equipment.
BENEFITS OF BODYWEIGHT WORKOUTS
Bodyweight exercises are functional as they are designed to replicate the movements we do in everyday life like lifting groceries, carrying a child, getting up from a chair or sitting down. Exercises like squats and lunges target our lower body and work our quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. Squats mimic the natural motion of standing up and sitting down building strength in our body for everyday activities and lunges work on our stability and posture.
Bodyweight exercises are extremely accessible, budget friendly and can be easily modified to your personal fitness and strength level. These exercises can be done at home, outdoors and can be even included in your gym routine. There is no limitation on these exercises as people of any age can perform them and you can also adjust your workouts according to your daily routine and choose your preferred timing.
Muscle strength is another advantage of bodyweight workouts. It is a popular myth that such exercises cannot help building or maintaining muscles. This myth probably comes from the idea that bodyweight exercises are less intense or do not offer as much resistance as weight lifting but that is not the whole truth. Bodyweight exercises can be just as effective for building and strengthening muscles because of a training principal called “Progressive Overload” which refers to the gradual increase in intensity and resistance of exercises when you consistently workout. Increasing the difficulty of your workouts slowly helps you build strength and muscle. For example, exercises like Archer push-ups, Bulgarian squats, and Pistol squats are advanced exercises that rely on strong core work, strength and balance. By increasing reps (repetitions), increasing intensity of the exercises and decreasing rest time can help your muscles get stronger and build endurance.
Bodyweight exercises also improve cardiovascular health, which refers to the overall well being of the heart and blood vessels, which are essential for proper circulation, and maintaining healthy body functions. According to an article published in the “Harvard Health Publishing”, bodyweight exercises like all physical activities help lower the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and many more diseases. These exercises elevate heart rate and improve blood flow, strengthening the heart muscles.
CONSIDERATION
Bodyweight exercises like all physical activities are really beneficial for health but do come with a few limitations. While these exercises do build some muscle, they might not be as effective for hypertrophy (maximizing muscle growth) as weight training for people that might have a significant size in mind.
Another factor to consider is discipline. Bodyweight workouts, especially done at home require extreme self-discipline and consistency. One has to stick to a strict routine to see results. Advanced bodyweight exercises require proper guidance on form to avoid risk of injury. These factors and your personal fitness goals should be taken into consideration before trying advanced exercises.
CONCLUSION
Regular and consistent exercise can help regulate blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, maintain or lose weight and also helps lower bad cholesterol levels. Bodyweight exercises like all physical activities do provide these benefits if practiced properly and consistently. Today, most of our jobs require us to sit on a desk for 8 to 10 hours behind a screen and technology like dishwashers and washing machines have made our chores easier to get done without much physical exertion. It is very essential for us to include any form of exercise in our daily routines for good physical and mental health to stay strong and agile well into our old age. Bodyweight exercises are an effective, budget friendly workout form to stay fit.
Leave a Comment