Holidays are here, and although this is a very atypical year for everyone, the luckiest will have more free time to train. However, it is very important that not everything goes and what aspects we must take into account so that our summer sessions are as safe and effective as possible.

BREAKING MYTHS

First of all, there are two things we should get out of our heads already:

Bikini operation: The one we could start now is the one from 2021 (starting in April to be good in summer is not a good idea).

Apparently, it may not seem like good news, but it is. In this exercise, the rush is not good companions and it is much better to train "many times a little, than rarely a lot."

So let's take advantage of the holidays to incorporate physical activity into our daily routines.

CAREFUL WITH...

Although exercising outdoors is often very rewarding, there are a few things to avoid:

On the beach : running on the sand can cause serious muscle and joint discomfort. We must always use suitable footwear , with adequate cushioning and stability.

In addition, you should always choose a flat and stable terrain . Running on the sand or along the seashore is one of the most common causes of injury in runners during the summer, especially for those less used to it who usually do it during the rest of the year on the gym treadmill.

The sun: it is very important to protect the skin from sunlight. For this, there are special sun creams for sports that are less dense than the usual ones.

However, the most recommended thing is to always run in a shirt. In this way, our skin will be less exposed.

Heat: High summer temperatures directly interfere with the body's ability to lose heat, especially during physical exercise.

The body produces sweat to try to regulate itself, which although it decreases the temperature of the skin, also increases dehydration.

Therefore, it is advisable to practice exercise first thing in the day and to drink liquid before, during and after training.

WHAT A GOOD TRAINING SHOULD BE

Although it is difficult to summarize the keys to a good training in a few lines, if we want to train correctly it is necessary to take into account these aspects:

Progression: We must increase workloads progressively. It is not recommended to start very strong, either with very long, intense sessions or with many days a week. This will only serve to have hellish laces or, what is worse; an overload injury. The ideal is to start little by little, with two sessions a week of between 45 minutes and 1 hour will be enough, at first, if we are not highly trained.

If we are "newbies" it is better to be careful with the continuous career; It is more appropriate to combine walking with light jogging so that little by little you can shorten the walking sections and lengthen the running sections.

If we are physically active people, we can carry out between three and five sessions.

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Combine different types of exercise: we often meet athletes who only run or others who only do weights. It is true that it is better than doing nothing, but our recommendation is to combine strength exercises with cardiovascular exercises .

We can go jogging / walking, swimming or cycling a few days and do strength exercises (such as squats, bottoms or core work), others.

We can also train both in the same session, starting with cardio and ending with strength.

In addition, it is important to include joint mobility and elasticity exercises in our training program.

In short, the broader our workouts, the better. Therefore, the most appropriate thing is always to use a qualified personal trainer to design us in a customized plan.

EXERCISE AS A WAY OF LIFE

The 'bikini operation' should never be the goal, but rather incorporate physical activity into healthy lifestyle habits .

Leading a physically active life is important for many health-related reasons that go far beyond exercise as a way to achieve an attractive appearance.

Exercising will allow us to have a good body composition, optimal levels of blood pressure, oxygen consumption, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, triglycerides or bone mass; thus avoiding cardiovascular problems, obesity, diabetes or osteoporosis in the future .

In short, physically active people have a higher quality and life expectancy , as multiple scientific studies have shown.

For this reason, although we all like to be well in the summer, wear palm hearts and that the latest model swimsuit or bikini looks fabulous, the main reason why we should practice physical exercise is to ... BE HEALTHIER!

EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

It seems the same but they are not. The exercise is made up of all the workouts we do with the aim of improving our physical condition.

The physical activity is any action we take throughout the day without having intended to improve our state such as climbing stairs, walking to pick up children from the cole or cycling to work.

We must increase our daily physical activity and this, added to exercise, will make our lives much more active, have a higher daily caloric expenditure and ultimately will substantially increase the effect of the training we do.

RETURN TO THE GYM

All these recommendations are very interesting and are very good for all those who, during these months, have had to train themselves and even for those who were sedentary and started exercising.

However, do not forget that training is a complex science and that proper exercise programming is vital to achieve the desired goals, to prevent injuries and pathologies, as well as to increase the quality of life of the athlete.

For all this, it is very important that you turn to qualified professionals, who guide you in your training, and suitable sports centers. So in September ... everyone back to the gym!

Carlos Barbado Villalba is a doctor in Physical Activity and Health (collegiate 55994).

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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