Sounds too simple to be better than going to the gym? In fact, one of the main reasons fitness is so good for you is that you don’t need a gym to get a great workout. Plus, it’s safer and better for your body in the long run.
Unless you’re training for a specific sporting event or you’re an elite athlete looking to achieve specific strength goals. Chances are that, like the rest of us, you look to exercise as a way to maintain general levels of fitness, health and well-being.
Calisthenics is a movement that we should be able to perform. This means that our body reacts well to this type of stress and that we can continue this movement at a high level for a long period of time.
Incorporating exercise into our routine is as important as you might think.
Lack of time becomes a non-excuse.
You can do a 20-minute calisthenics session using nothing but your living room floor and be completely exhausted afterwards. In other words, getting to and from the gym, or not having access to equipment, is no longer an excuse not to exercise.
Several muscles at once.
Bodyweight movements, such as push-ups, pull-ups, and lunges, work multiple muscle groups at once. For example, a pull-up not only works your biceps, but your back and core muscles as well. You put more demands on your body in a shorter amount of time, and who doesn’t like to save a little time when it comes to exercising?
More calories burned.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, “vigorous calisthenics exercises burn more calories than most cardio exercises.” This is due to the greater muscle engagement these exercises require, as noted above.
Better for your body.
Since you are not lifting heavy weights, the risk of injury is reduced. You are designed to be able to move in different ways, which means calisthenics is easier on your tendons, joints and muscles. You recover faster, which means your workload increases over your sporting life and you train more over the course of the year.
Not only do you build great functional strength – which makes everyday tasks easier – but by reducing stress on your joints while building that strength, you extend their lifespan.
Endurance.
Calisthenics actually increases your resting metabolic rate, while improving and building muscular and aerobic endurance. Also, it is more effective at developing lower body coordination than Pilates in the same amount of time.
Money and time.
Yes, calisthenics can be done with ZERO equipment. Indeed, even with one or two pieces of equipment (pull-up bar/dip bar), you will save thousands of dollars in gym membership fees.
You can achieve a seriously intense workout from the moment you walk through your doorstep in just 20 minutes. That is to say, no commuting time, no parking time, no waiting time for the machine, no time to go to the grocery store after the gym session. Over a year, this represents a considerable sum.
Proprioception.
Calisthenics develops your body’s proprioceptors. Proprioception is the internal sense that tells you where your body parts are without having to look at them. This internal body awareness relies on receptors located in your joints, muscles, ligaments, and connective tissue. They pick up information when muscles bend and stretch, but also when your body is stationary.
For example, the joints, muscles, and connective tissue in your buttocks, hips, and legs are compressed (closed together) while you sit and read this. They get “distracted” (distracted) when you hang from a pull-up bar. Calisthenics is one of the best ways to develop them.
We are designed to move. If we want to live the best life possible and feel the best we can, we have to. It’s simple.
