- Start slowly
"When you just start gymging, do not do it 5 days a week, it could be a 'disaster' for you," said John Higgins, MD, director of Exercise Physiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.
"Start slowly. It would be better if you do it gradually every few days. The current recommendation of experts is to do it 2-3 days per week, at least 30 minutes per day. But for you beginners you can do it 1-2 days per week, "said Dr. Higgins.
- Do not forget stretching
Dr. Higgins says, in addition to warming up, do not forget to stretch the muscles before and after doing the exercises in the gym. Heating and stretching will reduce the risk of injury while exercising.
"When you warm up, you have to stretch the muscles and hold them for about 15 seconds. You will avoid injury when doing well and correctly, "he said.
- Do not just one field
When exercising in the gym, we can do any activity in accordance with the target health and fitness to be achieved. Just like exercising at home or outdoors, you can combine the different areas of your sport. So in one day, do not just do the same thing, but do alternate with other activities.
"Do not run every day. You will be bored. Try another and you will enjoy it, "said Dr. Higgins.
Still said Dr. Higgins, do not forget to do a variety of sports that you can do for body fitness, such as aerobics, strength (resistance), flexibility (including yoga) sports, and balance sports. Likewise while undergoing strength training, do not just focus on one area of the body just like the arm or chest. Give the same attention to all areas of your body such as stomach, calf, shoulders, back, and so on.
- Know the weight of the load and the correct way to use the fitness tool
Most people are confused when they first enter the gym, said Dr. Higgins, but most of them are just scared to ask for help.
"If you do not know, ask. In the gym there are many people who will help your fitness program with the tools in the gym, and with questions will help you avoid injuries caused by your own, "said Dr. Higgins.
Because lazy to ask, the beginners who immediately started the exercise with the most weight that they can lift. Though it should start from the lightest first. Dr. Higgins recommends not to increase the weight first in each week, so as not to injury and can get the best benefits from fitness.
Most gyms have plenty of standby attendants to help you explain how to properly use a particular tool, as well as to tell you what the tool does.
- Know when to rest
You might think gymging every day is good. And according to Dr. Higgins, we need to rest as well to keep up with sports time, because when there is no rest time, the body and muscles do not have time to recover.
"If you do not give the rest time for your body to recover and improve, your performance will go down and you will be hard to recover fully," said Dr. Higgins.
If you feel pain or pain after nge-gym (not because of injury), it's good, because it means your muscles have started to feel the effects. Dr. Higgins advised not to use painkillers and let them recover naturally.