Training a bit tougher according to your conditions is fun. And necessary if you want to develop. But do it so that your body keeps together in the long run so that the training continues to be fun. To succeed, you must give your body the possibility to recover. You can't just go on. You have to rest and include soft classes as well..
- I love soft training, it's like a nice conditioner for my whole body, says Tina Uppfeldt, training developer at Friskis & Svettis Riks.
In a soft-class you can expect extra guidance. The training is hearty and at the same time kind. Soft fits most people. Perhaps you are new to a training form, older, rehabilitating or like exercising at an unstressed pace. Or you work out hard and need to break off with a bit calmer training.
Part of smart training
Capacity increases is rarely linear. Your development curve reaches plateaus and you will feel uninspired. And above all, as you increase the load, your body will remind you of its weaknesses. The risk is that you over compensate and injure yourself.
- When you work harder, and expect more, you also need to think more. You must create the conditions for being able to perform movements quickly or with great resistance. You have to work with your weakest link, maybe outside your favourite class to build up the strength and basis for harder training. Perhaps it is not raw strength or endurance you lack, but mobility, Tina says.
This is where soft comes in. The idea of soft-class is to give you the conditions to improve your natural movement patterns and basic qualities. Just like Yoga, Flex, Core and Circle Light, soft build up, though in a calmer way.
- In the soft-class you can tune the mode and feel your movement patterns. In the soft-class you can find out what you need to work with and develop, says Tina.