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Virgin Active bio kineticist, Mariska Meyer, shares five tips to exercise intensely and safely at home.
Mariska Meyer, a qualified bio kineticist at Virgin Active in Faerie Glen, Gauteng shared five steps with Glamour that will help you take your workouts to the next level.
Meyer says that if you are consistent in doing even short sessions of exercise at home, you’re likely to get to a point where it feels a little easy.
“High-five for your commitment and effort, but now is the time to up the intensity. As our bodies are smart and adapt to change quickly, it’s necessary to modify your routine every 2 to 4 weeks.”
Meyer also advises that you should never overtrain as it can decrease your critically needed immune system.
“There’s no need to spend an 80-90% heart-rate max for more than 60-90 minutes unless you’re an athlete training for an event. And if you experience any chest pain or dizziness, stop exercising immediately.”
Take a look at her tips below:
1.
Increase the number of repetitions. Instead of stopping at 20, perform 30-40 reps.
2.
Decrease your resting time. In-between sets, try not to rest for longer than 30 seconds.
3.
Add another set. If you’ve done 2-3 sets, don’t be shy to add a fourth. You’ll get used to it sooner than you think.
4.
Have shorter and longer sessions with different heart rates. Short sessions should be tough with a 75-85% heart-rate max while longer sessions should have a 55-70% heart-rate max.
5.
Add variations to your exercises, such as splitting the reps, varying the speed, doing cardio between sets, freezing the move or adding compound exercises to isolated movements.
If you benefit from these training tools additional tips and tricks can be found on Virgin Active’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
