Does your workout leave you depleted rather than invigorated?
Or do you feel frustrated that your fitness doesn’t seem to be improving?
If so, you may need to rethink your approach.
Just six to 12 weeks of moderate exercise will boost your fitness and you’ll start to see positive results.
But how do you know you’re on the right track?
Here, experts explain the key signs that will help you determine whether your training is working for you.
1 You’re working up a sweat
If you’re not sweating at all you’re not working hard enough, say the experts. Sweat is the body’s way of cooling – when you exercise and get hot, you’ll sweat more as your body attempts to keep your temperature at 37°C. But if it’s very humid, you need to take into account that sweat won’t evaporate, so it will seem like you are sweating more, says fitness expert Rosemary Marchese.
2 You are ready to go again more quickly
If you’re starting to bounce back from interval training more quickly, this is a good sign your workouts are helping you to get fitter, explains Marchese.
3 Your health improves
Your general wellbeing will improve as you continue to exercise, say the experts, and it can lessen the impact of some chronic conditions – like arthritis and back pain.
4 You feel fitter and stronger
How you feel when you’re exercising is a good indicator of where you are. Known as rate of perceived exertion (RPE), it’s gauged on a scale of one to 10 and is a subjective measure of how hard you think you’re working, with one being the easiest, and 10 being flat out exhausted.
When you first start getting fit, your RPE will feel higher, says Marchese.
For example, you might feel an RPE of six or seven just walking up the hill to get to the shops.
“As you get fitter that may drop to a two or three, so you will need to train harder to get more benefits.
“You should have a nice ache after a workout but there is no need to push to the onset of pain,” she says.
5 You feel good
Feeling happy and satisfied after a training session – rather than depleted – is another sign you’re on the right track.
“Leaving the gym or finishing a run should leave you feeling good about yourself,” says Marchese.
“And this lift stays with you all day. Exercise sessions release ‘feel good’ hormones called endorphins, which is why you get that sense of exhilaration as soon as a few minutes after physical activity.”
6 You’re sleeping better
As little as 10 minutes of exercise every day can dramatically improve the quality of sleep, research shows.
“The main reason for this is because the body compensates for the stress of training by increasing the amount of time you are in ‘deep sleep’,” says Jessica Sewastenko, physiology expert at the Australian Institute of Sport.
“This is beneficial because it assists with your mental and physical recovery, allowing the body to restore full function.”
