Source: http://www.sonima.com/fitness/exercising-less/
When you’re feeling really amped about a fitness goal, such as a New Year’s resolution to lose the last 10 pounds, it’s easy to get carried away. You might find yourself suddenly ignoring your achy, sore muscles and charging full-speed ahead toward a slimmer, fitter you. In the process of hitting the gym too hard, too often, you begin to risk injury, compromise enjoyment, and inadvertently prolong reaching your goals by giving your mind and body almost zero time to recover between each sweaty session. This classic overzealous mistake that people often make in January is the very reason resolutions die well before the end of the month.
As a longtime avid runner, I have found that when I take more time off, take it easier on long runs, and do less speed work, I am able to run more consistently. When I first adopted this more balanced approach, I transformed my experience with a sport I had practiced for more than 25 years. Not only did I save time and get better results, but also I decreased my chances of burning out, getting hurt, and dreading doing the recreational activity that I love most. Before you fill up your calendar with your favorite fitness classes this year, consider these five ways to achieve more by doing less. You’ll see for yourself how it leads to suprising physical and mental results—not just in January, but throughout the whole year.
1. Carve a stronger core 10 seconds at a t…