Benefits of Total Body Exercises
Regular exercise is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body. It causes endorphins to be released in your brain (causing you to feel happier and more relaxed), it reduces your risk of nearly all of the chronic diseases that plague our society, and it improves productivity and discipline in other areas of your life. There are simply no negatives to regular exercise.
Some of the most useful exercises are total body exercises. Total body exercises are those exercises which focus on large muscle groups rather than one specific area. Examples of whole body exercises include step ups, walking, cycling, squats, lunges, deadlifts, hip extensions and running.
There are times when you may want to focus on one small muscle, such as your biceps or calves. But in general, whole body exercises are the most efficient use of your time and effort.
Here are some additional benefits of total body workouts.
1. Less chance of overtraining. When you do total body exercises, you usually focus on one exercise per muscle group. With such a low volume, you are less likely to injure yourself than if you do multiple exercises per muscle group.
2. A Balanced body. While some people may desire the unbalanced look, most agree that a more balanced body looks better. When you concentrate on just one or two areas, those areas grow and develop while your other muscles, which are not getting so much attention, do not change much. Total body exercises treat each muscle group in turn, leading to more balanced workout and a more balanced body.
3. Less boredom. Doing the same exercises over and over on the same muscle groups can become monotonous and boring. If you become bored with your exercise routine, you are more likely to quit. Alternating between various total body exercises will keep your interest up and prevent burn out from boredom.
Be sure that before any workout, you take the time to warm up. Five or ten minutes of warm up exercises will begin to increase the blood flow to your joints and muscles and prepare them for the stress of the upcoming workout.
If you neglect to warm up, you will be more prone to injury. Likewise, be sure to cool down at the end of your session. Stopping suddenly is hard on your heart and can also lead to a buildup of lactic acid in your muscles which can cause cramping later. Five to ten minutes of lower intensity exercise is usually a sufficient cool down.