FITNESS GOALS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR BUCKET LIST
The majority of us have bucket lists. While some include long-term dreams in the list, others incorporate New Year resolutions as part of the list. One of the most common resolutions that is written in the list is ‘fitness’. Here are six fitness goals for weight loss that could be added in your bucket list and how you can achieve them.
If you are a beginner, completing a full-length marathon might not be the best fitness goal to be included in your bucket list. Instead, opt for shorter distances like 5KM or 10KM. To ace these shorter runs, you will need to do some preparations in order to avoid unexpected injuries to your body on race day.
For a start, begin your training by completing two 30-minute runs on alternate weekdays and commit to a longer distance one on the weekend. As you progress, try to increase the distance for each run by no more than 10 percent from the week earlier. Be sure to pick a run that is at least 3 months in advance so it gives you ample of time to train with a group.
Complete 20 Push-Up Repetitions
Deemed as the master of upper body strength exercise, push-ups work your chest, shoulders and arms, while improving core stability. If this is your first time to perform this exercise, start with a modified version. It can be done using a wall, a low bench, or with your knees rested on the floor. The key to perform a perfect push-up is to keep your back straight, abs tight, and your bottom half down. Be sure that your chest touches the ground completely without allowing your abdominal section to drop to the floor.
As your strength gradually improves, try to elevate yourself on your toes to complete a traditional form of push-up. Add on to your repetitions as the day progresses till you successfully hit the 20-repetition mark. Following that, you can slowly attempt to try out different variations such as side-to-side push-ups, Spider-Man push-ups, clap push-ups and pike push-ups.
3-Minute Plank Challenge
The ability to hold a plank position for a solid 3 minutes shows your true full body stability. It helps a person ward off injury, ease motion and build overall strength. If you have never attempted this exercise before, start by holding a plank on your elbow and knees for a minimum of 10 to 15 seconds. As you move forward, try to switch to using your forearms and slowly increase the hold time until you reach the 3-minute goal.
It is a truefat burning workoutas it pushes you to have excellent core strength and shoulder stability. While at it, be sure to add on some other core exercises like Russian twists, reverse crunches and hanging leg raises as part of your workout routine to help you improve your planking level.A true measure of full body stability is being able to hold a stationary plank. It helps an individual prevent injury, ease motion and build overall strength. Begin by holding a plank on your elbows and knees for 10 to 15 seconds if you have never held a forearm plank before. Attempt to use your forearms instead and gradually increase hold time until you reach the 3-minute mark as you progress.
Hike a Mountain
Going on a hike at any preferred mountain of your choice is one of the bestfat burning workoutsthat require both physical and mental strength. Do note that it is crucial to have enough preparation and training before hiking as it involves cardiovascular fitness, and strength of the core and legs. To kick off your training, focus on cardio workouts like hill-walking, stair-climbing and distance-running.
Be sure to include weight training as well as core exercises like squats, lunges and step-ups as part of your training. Once you realise that the stair-climbing exercise is getting easier, be sure to change the heights climbed by skipping steps as you make your way up.
Bodyweight Training
Weightlifting is a type of exercise created to increase muscular strength, coordination, speed and stabilisation of joints. It is normal to include weightlifting as part of an athlete’s training routine. But if you are someone who has never done weightlifting before or has done minimum amount of it, then your main goal should be lifting your own bodyweight. Bear in mind that discipline and consistency are the main values of bodyweight lifting.
Once you have gained basic strength and support using your own bodyweight, then you can proceed to lifting actual weights. Always remember to have afitnessgoal such asweight lossor strengthening muscular power
Complete Unassisted Pull-ups
If you have realised, most of our daily movements focus on the motion of pushing instead of pulling. This leads to upper-back muscle weakness and neck pains. One exercise that can counter this problem is pull-ups as they help to fix that imbalance and is efficacious in strengthening muscles in the back and biceps. If you are not able to do a single pull-up, then opt to train using a fixed-arm hang.
To execute a fixed-arm hang, first stand on a box or bench right under a pull-up bar. Hold the bar, palms facing outwards, and jump up. Bringing your chest as close as possible to the bar, hang in that position for as long as you can. If you feel yourself sliding down, lower your body across three to five seconds until your feet are rested on the box again. The goal is to try and do 5 repetitions of 10 seconds. Once you find this exercise easy, challenge yourself by adding resistance band pull-ups. Then slowly move towards unassisted pull-ups once you feel your body is getting stronger as the day passes by.
The majority of these bucket list fitness goals would need strict preparation for both the body and mind. With the right attitude and determination, you can easily attain them