The right age and time to go to the gym

Contrary to past notions about fitness, the benefits of exercising far outweigh the risks. Whether it is a young child or a teenager or even someone older, anyone can benefit from exercise suited to their age and ability, of course. Making a child exercise only helps in making them become more spacially aware, along with gaining strength and more control over their physical coordination.

According to America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), kids should workout for at least one hour a day. Regular exercise prevents stress, increases confidence, balance weight, benefits in good health and sleep. However, it is necessary to understand the right exercises for your kids according to their age.

Exercises for 2-3 year olds
At the age of two to three, a kid should practice running, jumping and playing games. Make sure that playing games and running aren't stressful for them. Kids can start learning swimming at that age as well, as picking up a skill like swimming can come to them much sooner than it will take a grown-up child to. Encouraging them to play and understand their body's limitations and motions is a great way to teach them about physical acitivities.

Exercises for 4-5 year olds
Four to five-year-old kids can practice running, jumping and skipping rope kind of exercises. Gymnastics and swimming can also be great for this age. However, make sure that these exercises are fun rather than stressful or competitive. You can also implement knowledge about the games and their benefits.

Exercises for 6-12 year olds
Let your child decide the exercise or sport they want to play. At this age, they can learn to enjoy or discover new games, pick up new skills and explore. Activities like playing cricket, yoga, climbing, gymnastics, basketball, football and swimming are great to learn at this age. You can encourage them to try certain sports but don’t force them.

Exercises for 13-18 year olds
Teenagers aged between 13 and 18 years can exercise as much as adults. At this age, you can start going to the gym. You can practice running, swimming and weight lifting (according to strength) exercises. Other than that, teens can play football, basketball or other sports that help in their overall physical development.

A teenager can even think about intense workouts and build muscles at the gym with some intense exercises such as weightlifting, crossfit and aerobics. However, it should be done under the supervision of a trainer.

Some say exercising bright and early in the morning is the path to eternal fitness, while others prefer exercising in the evening. Which is better? Studies suggest working out early in the morning helps in burning 20% more fat than later in the day, while others recommend working out after dusk due to more strength and stress relief. Working out later in the evening also promotes better sleep at night.

Working out in the evening produces different hormones in the body than exercising in the morning does. Mornings are productive for exercise because the body's testosterone is at the highest at that time. After dark, however, the body has conditioned itself through the day and better prepared.

Busy office hours and unscheduled meetings tend to eat into the evening workout hours, while morning workouts keep people consistent over a longer period of time. However, both times of the day have their own benefits:

Benefits of working out in the morning

• Keeps you consistent.
• Higher testosterone that translates to more muscle gain.
• Body releases more growth hormones.
• Great for burning fat as well as cardio.
• Boosts metabolism.
• Energy levels are higher in the morning.
• Keeps you confident throughout the day as a result.
• Starting up early with a fresh mind reduces stress.

Benefits of working out in the night

• Promotes better sleep.
• High strength.
• Relieves stress.
• Higher muscle growth is observed in evening workouts.
• Sleeping after a workout aids faster muscle recovery.
• You won’t feel tired during your work.
• A perfect end to a stressful day.

However, it really depends on an individual’s body and when it responds the best. Your own behaviroural patters decide whether you’re a night person or morning. To understand your body clock, try both and see which one you find more convenient and helpful.

According to a study, time is not a necessity for working out. It's important to show up and exercise rather than fixate over the time of day. Following a routine always helps, so if mornings suit you more, stick to that or vice versa.

Whether it is weight training, cardio or other forms of exercise you prefer, there are several benefits of exercising in the gym.

There may not be any negative psychological impact on a person by working out, but there remains a risk of injury, especially towards the end of your workout when you appear to be tiring. Workout injuries can derail someone's fitness program but they can be avoided by following the right methods and lifting techniques.

Side effects of too much exercise

Overtraining can cause fatigue and restlessness. Without adequate rest afterwards, it can begin affecting your physical health which can also lead to exercise addition.

Too much exercise will don’t make you feel more active but can cause fatigue. Except for this, exercise addiction can cause fever, insomnia, aggression, and muscle pain.

High-intensity workouts shouldn’t be practiced more than three days a week. When you train at high-intensity your muscles take longer to recover, hence opting for a low-intensity workout while recovering your muscles is wise.

High-intensity workouts can cause

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Insomnia
• Heavy-legs
• Aggression
• Muscle pain

Side effects when you stop going to the gym

• Weight gain: Burning more calories while exercising helps maintain a healthy weight, but when we stop going to the gym, one can regain that lost weight quickly.
• Joint pain: Irregular exercising can often lead one to experience aches and pains in the form of pain in the joints. But instead of stopping exercising altogether, it is better to lower the intensity of your workouts and continue.
• Decrease in physical capabilities: Working out on a regular basis increases the strength of your muscles, but when you stop, your muscles start to weaken.
• Muscle pain: Abruptly stopping a physical activity may lead you to experience muscle pain of some kind. This happens due to breaking up of the muscles.
• Putting heart at risk: Heart health starts deteriorating a few weeks after you stop going to the gym.