Often people seek to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle as a top priority starting Jan 1.
But these resolutions to keep up with a fit and healthy workout regimen often falter soon after making the personal promise.
Emily Loefstedt works directly with people on creating the proper workout routine that is best fit for them and offers advice to those who are looking to sharpen their workouts in 2019.
Loefstedt, senior in fitness conditioning and one of the University’s personal trainers in the Campus’s Recreation and Wellness Center, said the best types of workouts for someone to do is whatever they enjoy doing.
“There is no point in doing something you don’t enjoy just to workout,” Loefstedt said. “It kind of just depends on what you like to do and know how to do.”
With the gym offering numerous options for a variety of exercises, Loefstedt recognizes it can be daunting to go as a newcomer, assuring those who are not comfortable in a gym setting that they can do what is needed in their home.
Doing exercises at home can also be beneficial from a mental standpoint, Loefstedt said, adding gyms can become crowded during this season and have different hours, which can lead to frustration.
“Bodyweight squats, running in place, or anything that can get your heart rate up can be done pretty easily at home — even just doing pushups,” Loefstedt said.
Loefstedt said getting your heart rate up is the key to burning calories.
“Adding resistance will boost your metabolism so that you burn more calories after you’re done working out,” she said.
While many exercises increase heart rate, Loefstedt said not all types of exercise affect it the same way.
“Cardio gets your heart rate up and burns more calories in the moment, which can be as simple as going for a walk,” Loefstedt said.
She said circuit training has a different effect due to higher repetitions keeping the heart rate increased for extended time.
Getting into the habit of working out with smaller workouts regularly is more beneficial than longer workouts less frequently Loefstedt said, so one’s body becomes accustomed to a routine and the calorie burning will become more efficient.
Loefstedt warned less frequent, larger workouts can be potentially dangerous.
“Doing big workouts randomly could lead to possible injuries,” she said.
For those planning to lift weights to achieve their goal, Loefstedt advised not packing on extra weight.
“The key for calorie burning with weightlifting is lifting a lesser weight at more reps,” she said. “Instead of lifting a heavy weight one time.”
Loefstedt said she speaks for herself and all the other trainers when saying they all want to help students achieve their fitness goals, recommending those interested in getting a trainer to go for it.
“It’s just a good way to keep yourself accountable,” Loefstedt said. “There is not any judgment around it here.”
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