It’s already the middle of the year and you’ve barely started with your fitness plan, but before you blame others not being able to start your exercise, know that sweating it out is the least thing you’ll have to worry about, in fact, it’s the things you do before and after working out that will make or break your workout routine.
But before you pack your gym clothes and hop on to the gym, here are some things that you need to know in working out.
- BEFORE AND AFTER: Eat Right: Just because you’re working out doesn’t mean you should cut off every kind of food in your diet. Regardless if you just want to lose a couple of pounds or training to become an athlete, diet and exercise go hand in hand. If you plan on building muscles, you need to eat carbohydrate rich foods such as breads, cereals, pasta, and rice. Fruits and vegetables can also help you gain more energy that will help you get through your workout. You’ll need protein to help build muscles and for your blood cells. And did you know that chocolate milk is the recommended post workout drink? (We’d love to argue with scientists that chocolate milk is the perfect drink regardless of what you’re doing but we can’t.) Of course, depending on your workout routine, you may need to wait at least 15 to 30 minutes before eating.
You’ll need fuel to burn when working out so eating is an integral part of working out, a light meal such as toast or oatmeal is perfect for morning workouts. Greek yogurt or cottage cheese are perfect for working out during night exercises especially before going to bed. But regardless of what workout plan you want to follow, it’s important that you load up on carbohydrates and protein, especially if you want to build some muscle but don’t force yourself to eat as some people easily get an upset stomach when they eat before a workout. Sometimes you don’t even have to eat a whole meal, protein shakes or granola bars work just as fine too.
- BEFORE AND AFTER : Hydrate: hydration plays an important role in working out as it helps your organs perform their best. It’s better to stick to water rather than those energy drinks during working out although a bottle of Gatorade or two can also be beneficial. Water helps regulate your body’s temperature and lubricate your joints, it also helps transport the nutrients to every part of your body. Drink 2 to 3 cups of water after working out then you can start drinking normally again.
However, we don’t recommend that you chug down a whole jug or gallon of water before working out, you’ll end up running to the bathroom more rather than running on the treadmill. The countless pee breaks you will be taking can be a distraction for you and the people around you. We cannot stress further how important hydration not only in our daily lives but more importantly when working out as this helps you prevent muscle cramps, dizziness, fatigue and many other during working out.
- BEFORE: Get Enough Sleep: A tired body can’t perform well without getting enough sleep and recovery time is just as important as doing push ups. If you’re tired, it’s best that you don’t work out and do it the next day instead, working out while tired won’t help you perform well. Even if it’s just yoga or pilates, you need to be fully rested to do the following poses and stretches, just imagine doing yoga without getting some sleep. Not getting enough sleep will not only make you feel tired but can also injure you. Exercising should be something you look forward to and it shouldn’t treated as a chore.
- AFTER: Cool Down: Don’t hit the showers yet after a few runs on the treadmill or weights, even if all you did was jog and run from your home to the park, you still need do something to bring your heart rate down so that you won’t get sick after working out. Sit down, take a deep breath and walk on the treadmill for a couple of minutes (5 minutes tops in a steady pace), perhaps talk with a friend or log your daily progress on your workout app. Tip: if you want to see some of the best home treadmills for use, check out the mentioned link and let us know what you think in the comments section below! 🙂
- BEFORE: Stretch and Warm Up: Sure you’ll be exchanging blows and punches with a punching bag or pushing big tires across the room, perhaps you’ll be kicking or lifting weights too… Whatever you want your workout routine to be, it’s important that you stretch before doing so. It can be anything from twisting your body to certain angles or simply stretching your arms and legs, you wouldn’t want your body to feel like it’s trapped in cement after working out now would you? Warm up with simple aerobics, on a treadmill, or even on a stationary bike for five minutes before working out.
- BEFORE: Take Supplements: The rewards of exercise doesn’t happen overnight, you’re going to need a little more than just 100 push ups to get that washboard stomach or anything at all but although it’s not necessary, taking supplements such as those that contain amino acids and caffeine can help your veins and arteries dilate thus giving you an increased blood flow. We recommend that you take such supplements 30 minutes before hitting the gym or laying out that yoga mat so when you start sweating out, it’s effects will be released.
AFTER: Keep Track: Whether you want to drop a couple of pounds before your best friend’s wedding or for that gig in August, it’s important to keep track of your progress when working out. Keeping track can be done through a variety of ways, you can go old school by using a pen and paper or if you prefer to be go with the flow, use an app such as the Workout Trainer: Fitness Coach, the Gym Workout Tracker and Trainer, and many others available in your phone’s app market.
Lindy Schwarts – https://amazingmachines.info
