Bodyweight Training has recently increased in popularity in the fitness world and is among the top fitness trends of the past couple years. There are many reasons why including new wearable technology, more knowledge being shared on social media and the internet, and a busier population that has a challenging time squeezing an hour or so in a gym. Here are four reasons why bodyweight training is right for you.
4. Everyone Can Do It
Bodyweight training is available for everyone as all that it requires is you and your body (makes sense). Without the need for equipment, it is also cost-effective and you can work out anywhere making it rather scenic – if that’s what you’re into. If you think about, every day we perform some sort of bodyweight training – whether it’s getting out of bed or simply picking something off the ground. If you feel intimidated but you know you need to exercise, don’t stress and do some push-ups or squats. Starting somewhere is better than not starting at all.
3. Resistance Training is Key
Not to sound like an alarmist but everyone needs to do resistance training. It’s not just to look like a bulked-up body builder or to become a power lifter. It helps with overall mobility and is especially helpful for older adults. Even children can join in on the bodyweight frenzy, making it a routine fit for the entire family. If you a cardio-fanatic, fitting in some bodyweight resistance will ultimately improve your ability to perform cardio and lead to less injuries and better performance.
2. Get Creative
Without the equipment, you must create ways how to do an effective and safe workout. Need leverage? Find a stable tree branch for some pull-ups or a chair for some dips. You also should do some research or hire a personal trainer to accumulate a tool box of exercises to perform. Bodyweight training can cover a plethora of various philosophies and schools of exercise. Whether its Pilates, Yoga, or simply gym-class-styled training, you will apply to your bodyweight training regimen.
1. Mind-to-Muscle Coordination
Learning proper form – no matter what the exercise happens to be – is a key component to ensuring an effective exercise and remaining injury-free. For many of us, we don’t use muscles we should and, thus, have little idea how to activate them. Bodyweight training spotlights this mind-body connection and helps improve cognitive focus while performing strenuous exercises. It is somewhat easy to maintain proper form at the beginning of the routine but overtime it becomes harder and harder to preserve correct form. With utilizing just your bodyweight, it encourages you to keep your attention on your posture without a significant injury-risk (as opposed to using free weights like dumbbells and bars). With this practice under your belt, you will be more than ready to graduate to the heavier stuff.
Bodyweight training is among the best schools of fitness for you to get started with. However, you only have so much bodyweight and as your strength grows, so should your resistance levels. You may need to graduate from bodyweight to full-fledged resistance training. With all that said, it is a prefect strategy for anyone looking to get back into shape, get stronger, or increase mobility. Try it out and share what your experience has been. As always, thanks for being awesome.