How an At-Home Test Can Help You Figure Out the Best Kind of Exercise
“Workouts don’t work for me.” Maybe people don’t say this too often, but they sure think it. When you bust your buns for six weeks and nothing seems to be changing, you begin to think that you are some sort of mutant who is impervious to the effects of physical activity. And you may be right… except that it might be the type of exercise you are doing.
And there is a way to make sure.
First of all, if you are exercising and your body does not seem to be reacting like it should, you fall into a category of people known as “Non-responders.” And that literally means your body is just not reaping the benefits someone right next to you may be enjoying.
At least one study showed that while endurance exercise helped most people, some actually ended up in worse shape than when they started. And scientists believe this may be genetic. And the same can be said for resistance training and even high-intensity intervals (sshhhh).
So how do you know what is working for you? According to this article, try this basic test:
…measure your fitness. You can do this by briskly walking up several flights of stairs or quickly stepping onto and off a box three or four times. Then check your pulse. This is your baseline number.
Now start working out. Walk. Jog. Attend interval training or spin classes.
After about a month…repeat the stair or step test. Your pulse rate should be slower now. Your workout sessions should also be feeling easier.
If you are a current Cardio High client, we are doing a more exact cardiovascular test in the gym all through January. Ask one of the trainers to test your heart rate recovery times. If you see an improvement in your hr recovery time – or your heart beats slower when you run, then you are a responder and you should continue to see improvements. But if you don’t see improvement with either the home test or our Cardio High hr recovery test, then we suggest you alter your exercise routine.
-Shane M.