5 Signs You’re Really Out of Shape

5 Signs You’re Really Out of Shape

Are you one of those people who lives a busy life – too busy to take time for exercise? Do you put off going to the gym, taking the stairs, or even walking the dog because you’re too tired?

Chances are, after a couple of months, sometimes years of making excuses, even legitimate ones, you’re going to find yourself seriously out of shape. No time for regrets or self-deprecation, just look for the signs, be honest, and follow a few suggestions that will get you back to where you need to be!

• You’re always tired. Exhaustion and fatigue are often the result of inactivity. Even if you’re working 10- hour days in an office behind a computer or travelling by car to appointments, you’re still not physically active enough to make a difference. According to The American Council on Exercise, working out regularly (3-5 times/week, 30 minutes) is the key to staying energized and alert all day.

 

What to do: Get moving. Take a walk at lunch. Use the stairs at work. Walk the dog. Swim laps in your pool. Bike around the neighborhood.

 

• You can’t do push-ups. Push-ups are an excellent test, especially for upper body and core strength. To perform a push-up, you should be able to lower yourself with arms tucked close to your body before pushing yourself back up. Anyone less than 50 should be able to do a minimum of 5-10 just to be considered in fair shape.

 

What to do: Try modified push-ups with your knees on the ground.

 

• Your heart’s telling you something. Check your pulse by placing your index and third finger on the side of your neck beneath your jawline, and count beats per minute. A normal resting heart rate is between 60-100 beats/minute. When a fit person exercises the heart speeds up to 140-190 beats/minute to pump O2 throughout the body. When you stop, the heart slows down to normal by about 20 beats/minute. If you find your heart racing when you climb stairs or carry groceries, you’re probably out of shape and need some cardiovascular activity.

 

What to do: Choose low-impact, low-resistance exercises like walking, swimming or light weight training to get started.

 

• Your waist is out of control. Excess weight around the midsection is not only unattractive, it’s dangerous to your health. Males should have a waist circumference of no more than 40 inches, females shouldn’t exceed 35 inches.

 

What to do: Lose weight by eliminating late night grazing, cut back on alcohol, no more junk food and fried foods. Eat a healthy breakfast!

 

• You’re always in a bad mood. Long stressful hours at work, lack of physical activity, weight gain and other factors can make you short tempered and cranky.

 

What to do: Get up, get out meet people, try new fun activities. What are you waiting for?

Tom Bonanti is a certified fitness trainer and massage therapist. Contact Tom at trainertomb@aol.com with your fitness questions.

source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2017/08/15/5-signs-youre-really-out-of-shape/