The way our body looks has a significant impact on how we feel about ourselves and the kind of self-image that we develop. Being overweight, underweight, having loose skin, or having an injury that impacts how we look negatively impacts self-esteem, confidence, and even cognitive ability. Luckily, there are a lot of things that you can do to change how we look.
Some of these things are through good old-fashioned exercise, and others will require medical intervention and artificial cosmetic upgrades. Ideally, you should do everything that you can to achieve your desired look naturally, and if there is still room for improvement, then consider cosmetic upgrades. Here are some useful tips to help you get your ideal body.
Cardio
A lot of people assume that you only need to do cardio if you are trying to lose weight. While cardio is excellent for weight loss, this is not the only benefit. Aerobic exercises help improve overall cardiovascular health, which greatly impacts how the body and mind perform. This can be as simple as going out for a walk every day, playing a sport you enjoy, or going for a swim.
The idea is to get your body moving and to get your heart pumping. The longer you are able to sustain an elevated heart rate, the better it is for your health. These exercises will help you with everything from better sleep to improved moods to a stronger immune system.
Body Contouring
There are certain elements that exercise and diet can’t change. For instance, if you have loose skin due to drastic weight loss, you will need surgery to improve the skin. If you are looking to lose weight, then body contouring treatment can be very effective if you want speedy weight loss. Modern processes such as laser lipo mean that you don’t need to have invasive surgery, and in just a few sessions, you will see a drastic change in your physique. It’s also extremely effective for people who want to reduce fat in specific areas of their bodies. Make sure you discuss your goals and your current health with a specialist to make sure that the process you want is right for you and that you can safely handle the procedure.
Burpees
Ever since the lockdown situation in 2019 when gyms had to close, calisthenics has been getting very popular. You can do these exercises with your body weight and get a tremendous workout. Among calisthenic exercises, burpees are one of the best. They are simple to do but very challenging. You can modify and upgrade the burpee routine to increase the difficulty as you become more proficient in this exercise. The great thing with burpees is that you can pair them with other exercises such as squats or crunches, and you can get a full-body workout in a matter of minutes without any equipment at all.
Weight Training
If you have access to a gym, or you don’t mind buying some weights for your home gym, then weight training is a great option. This is also known as resistance training, and it helps you train your body with increasing amounts of resistance. If you are looking for hypertrophy, and you want to get in shape for summer, then this is the best way to build some muscle while also burning a lot of fat.
Moreover, it is a complete activity, so if you don’t like going out for walks because you find it boring, weight training will be a lot more stimulating. There are lots of variations to weight training depending on what your goals are. If you just want to bulk up and increase size, there are exercises for that, and if you want to improve strength and get stronger, there are other exercises for that too.
Ice Tubs
After all your training, you also need to help your body recover from that stress. In this case, ice tubs are a great option. You can get specialized ice tubs that are like a Jacuzzi, but they have ice-cold water. Alternatively, you can also fill your bathtub with regular cold water and then make it even colder with lots of ice. You could also use plain cold water and go for cold showers. Cold water is extremely helpful in improving blood flow throughout the body. It is a vital tool that even athletes use for recovery from intense training—some even alternate hot sauna sessions with 5-minute bouts of ice baths.
Before you get started with any serious exercises or medical procedures to change your look, make sure that you are in the right physical condition for that activity. A lot of people rush into things and end up hurting themselves because they are coming from a completely sedentary lifestyle. Still, they want to do things that professional athletes do. Take it step by step and develop your strength gradually till you can handle the high-impact work.
