The lives we live today are not the same ones that humans were built for living. Everything from the fridge, a room away from our beds, the cars we use to get to work and the chairs across from desks on which we spend hours working day after day. The whole environment is built around inactivity and sitting down. The lack of physical activity has resulted in a spike in obesity and cardiovascular diseases in the developed world with 26.4% or 8.3 million Canadian adults registering as obese in 2016. Heart disease which includes causes such as heart attack, stroke and diabetes are the 2nd leading cause of death in Canada and are all correlated with obesity.
The struggle before was how to get humans to rest more to live longer. Now, on the other hand, the struggle has become how to get humans moving again so as to live longer. Modern medicine can only do so much when we are fighting against our biology in this modern world we have built for ourselves, as the new popular saying goes: "Sitting is the new smoking." Nowadays, staying fit means planning in advance to make time in our day for physical activity. Normally, this is far easier for everyone involved, after all, the sun is shining, your community centre or local sports club offers all sorts of amenities.
Unfortunately, the current landscape of winter as well as a COVID-19 lockdown has gotten rid of these prospects. That is why it's more crucial than ever to be able to have the time and space to exercise while not being dependent on outside factors. That way, only you can be held responsible and everyone's bag of excuses for missing out on a workout gets immeasurably smaller when the only thing you have to blame is yourself.
The Benefits (i.e. Besides Looks and Bragging Rights)
Lots of us want to bulk up in certain areas to have that perfect look when we flex in the mirror, whether that's arms and chest for some or glutes and legs for others. However, at the end of the day, those aren't the most important benefits of exercise. For one, anaerobic exercise (exercise centered around short length high intensity bursts designed to build muscle mass) are responsible for a whole host of other potentially life-changing health benefits.
1.Managing your Blood Sugar: Avoiding preventable diseases such as diabetes is a must and working out since working out trains your body to better store carbs. When you don't exercise, your blood sugar increases and you store the carbs as fat.
2.Building Strength and Stamina: Working out works your nervous and muscular systems by making them more efficient in how they use the muscle tissue they already have. That's why in the first few months of strength training, you may not gain any muscle. That's because in reality your body is learning how to use the resources it has more efficiently.
3.Supporting Your Joints: When you don't use something, it becomes less proficient. Your muscles, bones, and joints atrophy over time if you don't use them. Stimulation is key to maintaining your body's physical shape. When it comes to your joints, working out is crucial to reducing your risk of injury.
4.Muscle Health = Bone Health: As muscle grows, your bones need to adapt to compensate for the increased pressure they're put under. Consequently, your bones will grow, it is a sort of resistance training for your bones. This healthy bone growth is key to decreasing the risk of diseases such as arthritis and osteoporosis later in life.
5.Controlling Body Fat: Muscle burns roughly three times as many calories per pound as fat which means the more muscle you have, the harder it is for you to gain fat. This is due to muscle being linked to a higher metabolism. The key to being healthy isn't starving yourself but having a body that's able to better absorb the food you're putting into it.
Creating Your Own Personalized Gym
When deciding on what to purchase to accessorize your workout area, you need to first get a picture of what it is you're hoping to achieve. Are you looking for a specialized workout routine that involves bulking up your upper body, a routine that specializes in your lower body or perhaps you're unsure and you want to take a well-rounded approach by focusing a bit on everything. Whatever your path, you always want to get the most bang for your buck. That's why finding the most versatile equipment is the path to success.
Push up Bars: If you're looking for a comprehensive upper body workout, a good place to start are push up bars. The beauty of push up bars is they allow you to do a myriad of exercises while also putting less strain on your wrists, especially if you are exercising on a hard surface. Anything from pushups to mountain climbers to L-sits and tricep dips are all possible with this little tool. It might not seem like much but the first step should always be to get the basics down before graduating to more advanced equipment.
Dumbbells: These are probably one of the most versatile pieces of exercise equipment you are bound to find. Anything and everything from bench press and bicep curls to shoulder presses, calf raises and lunges are possible. Nearly every major muscle group can be touched on with dumbbells with different weights being better suited for different muscle group exercises. If you're ever in doubt, just know in advance that you can't go wrong with dumbbells.
Sometimes though you just want to get on with your life and you feel like you don't need a gym. Maybe you're a go getter and are willing to take long brisk walks or even runs through the chilly winter cold. For that, we commend the effort. However, there's an interesting piece of equipment that you could use that isn't talked about enough, weighted vests. Ranging in weight from 10lbs to 150lbs, you can pick your size and weight and make your outside expeditions twice as effective!
Conclusion
The script is yours to write on how you choose to build muscle at home. Regardless of your decision, it's self-evident that our daily routines are not enough to achieve or maintain the physical well-being you strive for. When picking out equipment for your home gym, make sure to touch base on as many muscle groups as possible and to look at the big picture. If you want to learn more or purchase affordable, durable, and reliable equipment, go to https://www.fitnessavenue.ca/ today! We promise we won't disappoint.
