Cover story, continued ...
SOCCER is one of the most popular adult sports. Soccer does require a lot of physical activity — games are usually 90 minutes long, during which you will have to run up and down a large field. But you won’t need to buy a ton of equipment. BASKETBALL is another perennial favorite for adults. It can be played casually at a park with a group of friends or competitively in a league. Both can get pretty intense when the game heats up! KICKBALL is a sport that requires less physical involvement than soccer or basketball, but it’s definitely fun. If you think an adult kickball league will be hard to find in your area, think again. They’re growing in popularity every year. When the gym seems like a bore, a sports team can be just what you need to pick your motivation back up. Get out there and enjoy the thrill of playing on a team.
Start by talking to your co-workers. Learn about any sports they’re involved in, either through sponsorship or as part of a team, and ask for more info on any leagues that sound promising. Another method is to do a quick internet search of teams in your area. You’ll be shocked by how many options there are. Don’t let inexperience scare you off. Many adult sports teams encourage people of all skill sets to join, and most offer a variety of experience levels to meet the needs of newbies and veterans alike. If your main goal is a fun workout, there’s a casual league out there for you. If you’re seeking the thrill of competition, opt for something a little more serious. As you participate in the sport of your choice, you’ll have opportunities to advance to the higher levels so you can stay in shape and continue to challenge yourself. If you’re stuck wondering which sport you’ll enjoy most, here are a few popular choices to consider.
HIIT IT An Action-Packed Workout in Half the Time
will actually prevent you from making progress. Trainer and exercise physiologist Franci Cohen recommends trying HIIT three days a week with moderate cardio days between to allow your body time to recover and get back up to speed for your next workout. In addition, consult your doctor before beginning a new workout program to make sure it’s safe for you. You can try this workout at home. Since there’s little to no equipment involved, HIIT can be a great workout to try at home. There are many HIIT programs you can follow on YouTube fitness channels or sites like Self. com. Invite a friend to join. If you prefer a group atmosphere, many gyms have classes that incorporate HIIT principles for a fast-paced fat-burning workout. HIIT may have health benefits beyond burning fat. A study by the International Journal of Epidemiology found that women who did intense activity for just 1–2 minutes a day reduced their risk for osteoporosis.
HIIT promises an effective workout in under an hour, and it ranked third in the American College of Sports and Medicine’s worldwide survey of top fitness trends from 2017. What’s HIIT all about? One of the biggest fitness crazes to take gyms and backyards by storm in the last few years, high-intensity interval training, better known as HIIT, packs a lot of punch into a short amount of time. Unlike weightlifting and grueling gym sessions, HIIT is designed to burn fat in a minimum amount of time. Each interval in a HIIT workout is designed to push you to the max for a brief period of time —“short bursts of very hard work,” explains SELF magazine. Intervals may be as short as 20 to 90 seconds, enough time to make you breathe really hard (and burn a lot of fat) if you’re going all-out. Another key component of HIIT is resting between intervals so you can be ready to kick it up again in 20 seconds.
READYTO DO A HIITWORKOUT OF YOUR OWN? HERE ARE A FEWTIPS.
You can have too much of a good thing. While there are many benefits to this workout, it shouldn’t be your only exercise, and doing it too often
2 • www.ThomasPhysicalTherapy.com
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