7 most effective exercises

There’s nothing mysterious about it exercise: What you invest is what you get out of it. You just have to work smart.

Not all exercises are created equal. Some are more effective than others, whether they target multiple muscle groups, suit different fitness levels, or help you burn calories more efficiently.

So what are the best exercises? We asked four fitness experts that question and compiled a list of their favorites.

Any exercise program should include cardiovascular exercises, which strengthen your heart and burn calories. Walking is something that most people can do anytime, anywhere and doesn’t require any equipment other than a good pair of shoes.

It’s not just for beginners, either: even very fit people can get a good workout from walking.

“Brisk walking can burn up to 500 calories per hour,” says Robert Gotlin, director of orthopedics and sports rehabilitation at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. Since it takes 3,500 calories to lose one pound, if you don’t You’ll lose one pound for every seven hours of walking you do anything else.

Don’t take an hour off the couch every day, though. Richard Cotton, a spokesman for the American Council on Exercise, says beginners should start walking for 5 to 10 minutes at a time and gradually increase to at least 30 minutes at a time.

“Don’t add more than five minutes at a time,” he said. Another tip: As you get fitter, it’s a good idea to increase your walking time before increasing your speed or increasing the treadmill incline.

Whether you’re a beginner or have been exercising for years, adding interval training to your cardiovascular workouts can improve your fitness and potentially help you lose weight.

“Varying pace throughout exercise stimulates the aerobic system to adapt,” says Cotton. “The stronger your aerobic system, the greater your ability to burn calories.”

The trick is to increase the intensity or speed for a minute or two, then back off for 2 to 10 minutes (depending on your total exercise time, and how much time you need to recover). Continue to do this throughout your workout. Ask your coach what intervals are appropriate for you.

strength training It is also essential. “The more muscular you are,” says Cotton, “the greater your ability to burn calories.”

Experts interviewed for this story tended to support strength training that targets multiple muscle groups. Squats are a great example of this, as they work your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. “They give you the best bang for your buck because they use the most muscle groups at the same time,” says David Petersen, a trainer in Oldsmar, Florida.

Good form is key. “Exercise is a function of how you perform it,” Peterson says. “If your technique is bad, it doesn’t work anymore.”

When squatting, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your back straight. Bend your knees and lower your hips. “Knees should be kept as high as possible over the ankles,” says Cotton. “Think about how you’re sitting on a chair, except the chair isn’t there,” Gotling said.

Adam Rufa, a physical therapist in Cicero, N.Y., says practicing with a real chair can help. “The first thing is trying to get in and out of a real chair correctly,” he said. Once you’ve mastered this, try banging your butt against the chair before standing up again. Then do the same movement without the chair.

Gotling sees many patients with knee pain and says weak quadriceps is the cause most of the time. If you experience pain when walking down stairs, strengthening your quadriceps with squats may be helpful, he says.

Like squats, lunges work all the major muscles of the lower body: glutes, quads, and hamstrings.

Peterson says the lunge is a great exercise because it mimics walking, just exaggerated.

Cotton points out that lunges are more advanced than squats and can also help improve your balance.

Here’s how to do it right: Take a big step forward, keeping your spine in a neutral position. Bend your front knee to approximately 90 degrees, focusing on keeping your weight on your back toes and tilting the knee of your back leg toward the floor.

Peterson suggests you imagine sitting on your back feet. “You need to sit on your hind legs,” he said.

To make the lunge more practical, Ruffa recommends not just stepping forward, but also stepping back and out on the sides.

“Life is not linear, but multi-dimensional,” Ruffa said. The more they prepare you for the various poses you’ll take throughout the day, the more useful the exercises will be.

If done correctly, push-ups can strengthen your chest, shoulders, triceps, and even core torso muscles in one go.

“I love planks so much, almost Yogatype of action,” Peterson said. “Anytime you have a pelvis and a core [abdominals and back] When you are suspended, you must rely on your own adhesion to stabilize you.

Push-ups can be performed at any fitness level / “For those at a beginner level, start doing push-ups from kitchen counter height,” says Cotton. “Then step onto a table, a chair, the floor with your knees bent, and finally touch the floor with your toes.”

Here’s how to do a push-up: Face down with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Place your toes or knees on the floor and try to create a perfect diagonal line with your body, from shoulders to knees or feet.Keep glutes [rear-end muscles] and abdominal involvement. Then lower and raise your body by bending and straightening your elbows, always keeping your torso stable.

There are ways to make it harder. Once your form is perfect, try what Ruffa calls a “T-Stability” push-up: Get into push-up position, then perform push-ups by raising one arm to the side, balancing on the remaining three limbs without rotating your Hips.

When done correctly, the familiar sit-up (and its variations) is a great choice for building your abs.

To perform standard sit-ups, Cotton says, start by lying on your back with your feet flat on the floor and supporting your head with your fingertips. Press your lower back down, contract your abs as you begin the exercise, lift your head first (tuck your chin slightly), and then lift your neck, shoulders, and upper back off the floor.

Be careful not to stick your chin out and pull your neck forward; don’t hold your breath, and keep your elbows out of sight to keep your chest and shoulders open.

Peterson teaches his clients to perform sit-ups with their feet off the floor and their knees bent. He says many people tend to arch their back and use their hip flexors when their feet are on the floor.

“Crunches can be great, but if they’re not done correctly and your back is arched, you can actually weaken your abdominal muscles,” says Peterson.

This exercise works all the major muscles of the upper back, as well as biceps.

Here’s how to do it with good form. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then bend your knees and bend your hips forward. (If you have trouble doing this exercise while standing, sit on an incline bench and support your weight while facing backwards.) Tilt your pelvis forward slightly, tighten your abs, and lengthen your upper spine to add support. Place a dumbbell or barbell under your shoulders with your hands shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows and raise your hands toward your sides. Pause, then slowly lower your hands to the starting position. (Beginners should perform this move without weights.)

These seven exercises are all excellent, effective options. But as with any strength or resistance exercise, Peterson says, the question isn’t whether the exercise is effective, but how well you execute it.

“With good technique, all exercises achieve the desired results,” Peterson said.

The problem is that poor form can change the entire exercise, focus on a different area, or even cause more stress than intended. This may hurt you rather than help you.

Therefore, especially if you are a beginner, it is best to seek the advice of a fitness instructor to ensure that your posture is safe and correct.