Have you already given up your new year resolution? Don’t worry – it is never too late! The gym can help to improve not just your physical fitness, but also your happiness by releasing endorphins as you work out. So, let’s kickstart with positivity and starting your motivation by reading these tips.
Before the Gym
1. Getting some good night sleep!
Being sleep deprived on the days before you exercise can have a huge effect on your body by causing fatigue. Not only that, it can also increase your appetite for sugary and fatty foods as a result of your brain is not getting enough energy from sleep. This can cause the opposite effect of losing weight from gym workouts. Besides, sleep is actually great for stress relief, as you can handle stress head on a daily basis.
2. Eating Correctly
Never try to exercise on an empty stomach. Soon enough, you will run out of energy fairly quickly, and feel sick as a result. Remember, food is your main source of fuel in the gym. Try eating some light snack or meal such as fruits for healthy sugars, grains for carbohydrates, and anything related to protein to gain muscle.
3. Wear Fitness Clothing!
Wearing breathable active wear is commonly neglected when it comes to hitting the gym. Stretchy fabrics increase body movement and makes your body able to fully exercise. This also includes wearing the right gym trainers otherwise you can cause yourself an injury. Compression leggings are beneficial for running as they offer additional support around the legs to improve runs during and after in recovery.
4. Staying Hydrated
It is very important to stay replenished with H2o, as you can lose a lot of water through sweat as you work out. However, try not to consume too much water before you go to the gym, as it would make you feel very bloated as a result.
Warming Up!
To not risk any injury such as pulling a muscle, you should always warm up before you exercise. You can do this by doing various stretches, and it only takes a few minutes! There are different stretch that work for different exercises, visiting YouTube is always good to see best practice
After the Gym
1. Cooldown Stretches
Stretches should be done at post workout, because lactic acids build up in your muscles during exercise, and can cause muscle soreness and fatigue. Also, cool down stretches help to increase blood circulation, and aids in decreasing your chances of injury.
Buying a fitted tracksuit or something warm for the journey home is beneficial too, walking home in the cold after exercise can be a harsh extreme change on your body. Tracksuits are a streetwear clothing style currently, so you won’t look out of place wearing one on the way home either.
2. Refuelling
When it comes to refuelling your body, it is a big mistake to have a big fatty dinner as you’d undo all your hard work. Try to have a light snack such as fruit, followed by a balanced meal later on that includes protein perhaps including chickpeas or lean meat and complex carbohydrates. Don’t forget to say hydrated too!
3. Get a shower
Staying in your damp gym clothes is a is one of the big mistakes you can make, as bacteria can thrive and it can affect your body temperature. Getting a cool shower will help with circulation, and help with the recovery process.
Consistency and Recovery
They both go hand in hand, to become stronger and healthier you need a consistent timetable for your gym attendance. However, you can go to much and not leave your body time to recover. If you going to attend daily and overload your muscles, you need to think about how to make this routine sustainable. Many gym-goers will visit an infrared sauna Sydney to help in their recovery time, infrared saunas are known to assist muscle recovery by increasing blood flow and delivering more oxygen to the depleted muscles.