Benefits of Total Body Exercises

If you want to stay fit and have lots of energy you must give your whole body a good workout. Total body exercises work all the muscles in the upper and lower body. Body builders often have training programs where they focus on one muscle group at a time but for most people a total body workout may be more beneficial. By combining different exercises, you can have a more balanced workout that will meet your fitness goals more effectively.

Burn More Calories

Exercises that target only one part of the body are great if your goal is to develop those specific muscles. But if you are after general physical fitness and fat burning then a total body exercise is more beneficial. Besides, the muscles that you are working - say your leg muscles - will soon get tired and you may need to rest longer. If you do total body circuit training, you can exercise your leg muscles, followed by your upper body, and finally you can do core exercises. You can keep on moving with minimal rest in between your exercises, thus burning more calories.

Increase Over-all Muscle Building

Unless you are a body builder, you'll find that it's not necessary to do more than two sets of an exercise to build and tone your muscles. Try to do more exercises that work your whole body and not just certain muscles. You'll be able to develop the muscles all over your body for a balanced and better-looking physique.

Provide More Variety

Doing the same exercises over and over again can get boring. Total body exercises provide the variety that you need to keep on going. You can choose the type of exercise you want to do, including free weights, cardio machines, Pilates workouts, yoga, aerobic dance routines, and many more.

When you're having fun with your total body exercise, you're more likely to work out longer. Add variety to your fitness program and you'll enjoy it more.

Avoid Over-training

When you're doing a total body workout, you are not likely to do too many sets of an exercise before you have to move on to the next one. This will keep you from putting too much stress on the same muscles,which can happen if you are exercising only one area of the body.

Best Total Body Exercises

You don't need a gym membership to exercise your whole body. Some of the best total body exercises are very basic workouts that you can do in your own home.

* Basic workouts. Mix and match different exercises to get a full body workout. You can do jumping jacks, squats, pushups, and crunches. Do your research and find out what other exercises you can do to get fit.

* Enhance your favorite exercise. Just a simple variation of your favorite exercise can make it a full body workout. If you like to jog, carry small dumbbells or attach arm weight to your wrists to make jogging a total body exercise.

* Elliptical Machine. Elliptical machines allow you to exercise your lower and upper body at the same time. Work the pedals with your feet and grasp the handles to work your upper body. You can increase the intensity for a more challenging total body exercise.

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