Did you ever feel you weren’t getting enough out of your workout routine at home or at the gym, the barre class, or at the park? It takes more than muscles to build a healthy body, and an effective workout requires more than the sweat you shed during your routine.
People tend to credit the time they spend sweating it out at the gym for all their fitness accomplishments—but it isn’t the only one. You’ll know precisely how to adjust your workout routine to improve progress if you know what to do beforehand and what to do afterward.
Exercise and proper nutrition are equally important, and you get sufficient sleep to ensure your body recovers and refuels, resulting in a more challenging workout. The following tips can help you get the most from your activities, whether running or exercising:
1. Eat Carbs and Protein
Depending on what type of workout routines you do, chocolate milk can be the perfect post-workout recovery drink. Cycling, running, soccer or swimming are among activities that stress high endurance levels and constant, sustained movement, making chocolate milk an ideal beverage for such activities. This will provide you energy before work out. After your cool-down period, consume the drink within 20-30 minutes.
Your body is still in recovery mode after HIIT, Pilates, or yoga when doing more controlled strength and flexibility training exercises. Therefore, it’s essential to drink anti-inflammatory anti-oxidants for, at least, 15 minutes before drinking berries, papaya, ginger, and green tea. Before giving up carbohydrates and sugar, wait 30 minutes before eating food rich in carbs and protein like Greek yogurt and egg whites. Sweet potatoes, potatoes, and asparagus are low-sugar choices.
A light breakfast is also essential, so experts suggest you have oatmeal or toast before your morning workout. If you’re looking for an easy workout snack before bed, try this heart-healthy treat. Get a dose of casein by eating easily digestible Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Casein is a protein proven to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and improve overall protein balance when consumed after exercises.
You’re continually urged to drink water and even more afterward. Studies show that a decrease in body water of even 2% can decrease physical performance during a challenging workout.
You must replenish your fluids immediately after your workout. Proper hydration doesn’t end when you leave the gym.
Hydration plays a crucial role in overall health, but it plays an even more critical role in your fitness routine. Sweating out requires you to be adequately hydrated as you lose water. Staying hydrated will ensure your energy levels are correct, as well.
Another point to keep in your routine aside from staying hydrated is adding up on a supplement capable of improving fat burning capability.
3. Warm Up And Stretch Out
Even if your workout is only for 10 minutes, skipping your warm-up is a big no-no. A warm-up is meant to prepare you for what you’re about to do by increasing your body temperature, widening your range of motion, and preparing yourself mentally. By easing into your workout, you’ll also reduce the possibility of jumping straight into hard work and getting injured.
Exercising more and putting more muscles to work (such as getting deeper into a spot) can help you maximize your workout. A high-fidelity dynamic warm-up can help achieve this by moving through various stretches without holding them in place.
Use static stretching after a workout to finish up and relax. A cool-down allows your body to return to its original resting position—the way you would like to leave the gym. Joint mobility and range of motion may also be improved by stretching. Stretching after a workout is a reverse of stretching beforehand. You don’t want to go right from a movement to a seated position, such as at a desk or in your car because muscles are stretched when they’re warm.
4. Get Enough Sleep
Although rest may seem counterintuitive to getting more out of your workout, you won’t get as much out of your training if your energy is low. Consistent progress requires recovery time. Exhausted individuals have a more challenging time maintaining proper form while participating in activities like yoga, Pilates, and kickboxing, which increases the risk of injury. Exercising shouldn’t be a chore, but a treat. Not sleeping well makes it harder to exercise.
Conclusion
Exercise is only one component of a healthy, balanced lifestyle, not the whole of it. Your sleep, nutrition, and hydration are all on the same team with your workout.
