Get the Most Out of Your Workout

Jessica on set. Photo provided.

When a car accident left Northeastern grad Jessica Regnante with a bad case of whiplash and back trauma, she thought that exercising without pain would never be an option again. Regnante turned to Pilates to heal, and through the movements she made a full recovery. Now, the certified personal trainer and Pilates instructor wants to help others live pain-free by stressing the importance of exercising correctly to prevent injury.

Regnante hosts and produces a 30-minute talk show on YouTube called, Beyond Strong, which offers helpful tips like, “keep your mouth closed and tongue behind your teeth when doing crunches” and other little things that people may not think about when exercising. She also has her own DVD called, “On the Ball” which includes three total body workouts. Here are some more of her tips on how to get fit the right way. 

Jessica training a client on set. Photo provided.

1. Take a total body approach.

“Muscles work together like the instruments in an orchestra. Every muscle has a role in the performance,” Regnante says. “Some muscles take the lead, others remain quiet. All the muscles are turning on and off at different times. Timing creates a flawless performance and that builds a balanced body.”

2. Use imagery training.

“Visualizing how you will look and feel from working out will help you achieve your goals,” Regnante says. “Concentrating on every part of an exercise will help you get the most out of your workout.”

3. Keep ideal posture.

“Keep ideal posture at work and at rest. Ideal posture puts equal stress on all the muscles of your body,” she says. “This balance prevents injuries and makes your body more efficient.”

4. Train from the inside out.

“Use your core. Movement should start from the deepest part of your core,” Regnante says.

5. Control your body.

“The speed of the exercise should be slow to develop body control. Your breathing should be in sync with the speed of the exercise,” she says.

6. Vary your movements.

“A variety of movements keeps your muscles balanced. Use all three planes of movement in your exercise,” Regnante says. (The sagittal plane involves movements of the body forward and backward; the transverse plane involves movements that occur around your body in a rotational fashion; and the frontal plane involves movements that occur laterally.)

7. Trust the process and have fun.

“Learn to exercise the right way for the best results,” she says.