The Right Exercise for Your Body

Did you know that some of us have muscles that are better equipped for long distance endurance type exercise, some of us are built for short sprint type exercises, and some of us are somewhere in between?

It all comes down to the types of muscle fibres we have. In particular what proportion of slow twitch (endurance) fibres to fast twitch (sprint) fibres. While we can certainly improve our endurance or the power in a quick burst of activity, we may be naturally better at one or the other.

So what does this mean?

Not all exercise is created equal

You’ve always found it nearly impossible to jog for more than 15 minutes. Your friend, on the other hand, goes for a 45-minute jog every morning. You are both the same height and weight and have been training for the same amount of time.

Are you just destined to stay unfit?

It could be that your genetics have made you better equipped to deal with sprint-type exercises, where you put maximum effort into short 30 second bursts of exercise with a rest for a few minutes in between. You may find that circuit training, or calisthenic interval training allows you to get in that 45-minute workout.

Try different things

Experimenting with different types of exercise and finding a style that feels right for your body is a great strategy. Remember that any form of exercise may feel difficult at the start, and it might take up to 5-6 weeks before you feel like you are making progress.

If you still feel like you just aren’t built for endurance, try mixing it up with a combination of cardio and resistance training, or work out the right balance for your body with interval style cardio.

Work with a trainer

A qualified trainer can help to put together an exercise program that will work for you, as opposed to a one size fits all approach. They can work with your strengths to get you the maximum benefit in a training session. Just make sure that you find someone that you are comfortable with, that is encouraging, and that has the knowledge and skills that suit your individual circumstances.

The trainers at our weight loss retreats for example, are specially trained in developing exercise programs that work around common weight related injuries and joint pain. They are also especially skilled in adapting workouts for all shapes and sizes. We have had guests that were sure that they wouldn’t be able to do ANY exercise and were amazed at how much they could do with the right trainer to guide them through.

Check out our proven program to find out more!