It’s a well-known fact that you should stretch your muscles before you work out, and right now, and with the weather getting much colder, it’s more important now. If you were to jump straight into a walk, jog or sprint without stretching your legs, upper body or arms, you may feel a bit fatigued in the morning. Nobody wants to wake up and head into work feeling sore, so always make it a priority to stretch out before and after your workout routine. Whether you’re lifting weights doing some cardio work or working those abs, stretching will be key to success, but you also have to give your body time to rest and recover too, so a combination of working out, stretching and relaxing is a very good mix. Make sure you review your workout routine if you’re not stretching enough, otherwise you’ll forever feel sore and your body will feel decades older than it actually is!

The best way to motivate you to train for a half marathon is to sign up for one. Once you have signed up, you have no excuse for not meeting your goal.

Training for a half marathon takes time, usually, a 12-week program works best. The 12 weeks will involve jogging, running, sprint training, core weights and yoga. By incorporating all of these types of exercise will help maximise your fitness, improve your stamina and overall health.

Another great way to stay focused and motivated is to get a friend to join in with you. You can train together and encourage each other throughout the journey. Running a half marathon is a fantastic achievement for yourself and if you can raise money for charity at the same time, it makes it that bit more advantageous too.

If you feel you are not ready to take part in a half marathon, try signing up for some fun runs first to help get you started and in the swing of things.

Being fit and healthy is definitely a current phase and a really good one at that. With new fitness and health role models on social media, being fitter is made a little easier.

While regular exercise is good for improving your overall fitness, you can take your health one step further by introducing a healthy balanced diet into your daily life. Fad diets are a thing of the past, and meals full of good fats, protein and carbohydrates are well encouraged.

Your body requires all types of nutrients to survive, and while you up your level of exercise, your food consumption should follow. Eating too little, will starve your body of energy and cause you to fatigue early and generally decrease your health.  A balanced diet in combination with regular cardio and strength training will see your body at the fittest and healthiest it has ever been.

Yoga is becoming a popular exercise for both men and women, with many benefits to your fitness and health, there really isn’t an excuse to not make it part of your fitness regime. Yoga is easy to add to your routine as it can be done at home with a DVD or in a group at a gym, whichever suits you best. We have outlined the top 3 main benefits of taking up Yoga:

Flexibility- While yoga improves posture, it also improves your own flexibility. As a beginner, you may start to see an improvement in your flexibility and begin to try more challenging poses.

Strength-Yoga certainly challenges your muscles as you have to learn to hold positions that you are not used to doing. You will use new muscles, and develop and tone all of your muscles.

Stress relief- Yoga helps to reduce stress levels as it can be seen as a form of meditation, some yoga classes focus more on relaxation while others challenge your muscles and flexibility.

Pilates exercises consist of different body movements, based on simple principles such as controlling your core, breathing techniques and body awareness. Pilates exercise is good if you are looking for a combination of mind and body exercises and can be tailored to your specific body needs.

The Pilates exercises are easy, cheap and convenient to include in your weekly exercise regime. Pilates can be done at the comfort of your home using a mat and a DVD video player or at the gym using the reformer machine or group class. Pilates exercises are good specifically for the core group of muscles, they strengthen the core muscle and help loose abdominal fat. They also increase joint flexibility, improve body posture and mobility and a good way to distress.

For beginners’ schedule in a Pilate workout once or twice a week to your normal regime and have an instructor help you to avoid injury. Make Pilates part of your exercise regime as a way to break off from the monotony of high-intensity cardio and heavy weightlifting session and to achieve a holistic body functioning.

Swimming is a sport that helps improve your cardio and strength too. Starting up a swimming fitness regime can certainly help improve your fitness and overall health.

The best time to swim is early in the morning, as it can provide you with energy and wake you up for the day ahead. Swimming burns body fat well whilst it also tones and sculptures your muscles all over your body. You will see improvements in your muscle tone in your arms, legs and abdomen and back. After a good morning swimming session, you will build up a good appetite for a healthy balanced diet.

Swimming can also increase your cardiovascular fitness too, improving your overall stamina. With so many benefits you will wonder why you didn’t start a swimming fitness regime sooner. You can join a local swimming group or simply pay as you go alone, whichever suits your workout style best.

Fitness is one of the important factors that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Whether you are an avid gym-goer or you are thinking of starting a new fitness regime, during the warmer months the best place for a workout is the outdoors.

Not only are you exposed to fresh air, you have the opportunity to take long runs to places you haven’t seen before. Join a running group or do it solo, it really doesn’t matter, what matters is that you are challenging your cardio fitness and improving your health.

Outdoor fitness groups are becoming more popular over the years, with outdoor army style training. This is a great way to meet new people, get fit and be outdoors. Along with running and outdoor fitness classes, there are also other water sport options, such as rowing or kayaking, a brilliant way to strengthen your core muscles and work on your cardio too.

Exercises can be an essential part of your daily routine, especially if you’re willing to stay fit and healthy. From a 5-minute jog everyday, to deadweight lifting and short 15-minute walks, exercises come in different shapes and forms. Boxercise, another form of fitness training, has been around for a while and it involves concepts like punching, skipping, ducking, power, balance and agility.

The benefits of taking Boxercise sessions are indescribable and cannot be overemphasised as amongst other things, it involves engaging the entire body thus ensuring the faster burning of calories. It also helps release unwanted anger and depression as punches land on the bag, whilst it’s fun and a great way to meet new, likeminded people. Boxercise sessions can also ensure discipline due to the resolute nature of the training involved, and at the end of the day this can benefit all aspects of your life including your career, lifestyle and diet.

It is a well-publicised fact that being healthy is about eating a balanced diet and taking part in some physical activity. It is always advised that people try to do some form of physical activity like playing rugby.

Many people join a gym or take up running and swimming as part of their fitness regime however this is not for everyone. If you are contemplating how you can begin exercising, there is a greater chance of you sticking to rugby if you find it fun and compelling. By joining a local rugby team, you can make friends and keep fit. Rugby can spur you on simply because of the competitive nature of the game.

The sport is a great all-rounder because not only do you run but you jump and in turn tone your upper body as well. There are levels of skill to be reached, and competitions can be entered if you want to take it to that level.

So you’ve decided to take up boxing? You’re going to get in shape, tone up or improve your endurance and strength? That’s great! Boxing is a fun way to lose unwanted weight or chisel an already shapely physique. Now, before you run out and buy the entire emporium, there are some things to consider. Firstly, beginners don’t need everything available on the market to get a gratifying workout. Next, what do you need and how can you select these items? Any equipment, you purchase, should be evaluated for quality, durability, fit and comfort. Keep that in mind as you research brands, before buying. If you have a local boxing club, in your area, stop by and ask for tips from the proprietor or any friendly enthusiasts. Many of them will have been in the sport for years and can offer invaluable feedback on the best boxing kit, for you.

Any trainer, worth their salt, will tell you the following basic items needed for the beginner. You will need; hand wraps, bag gloves, a heavy bag, a skipping rope and a timer for at home practice. Once you incorporate sparring into your workout, you’ll also require; headgear, mouth guard, sparring gloves and a groin protector. Women should also invest in chest protection. Each of these supplies should conform to standards of quality, durability, fit and comfort. Another essential, to consider before stepping into the ring, is boxing shoes. However, you won’t need them until you’re ready to compete.

When selecting your boxing kit be sure it includes a good quality bag glove. These gloves are integral to your at-home or in-gym practice and can disintegrate on the bag if they aren’t durable. Purchasing a high quality leather bag mitt will ensure they last. Similarly, when selecting a kit, ensure the punching bag is made of genuine leather for years of abuse. Be sure any headgear, you invest in, will actually protect your head from damage and fits well. Overall, any boxing kit for beginners should provide maximum performance for the best value.