Smart Ways to Improve Fitness Results and Maximize Weight Loss Efforts

Many people work out only because they want to lose weight and look better. However, fitness experts agree that fitness is so much more important than weight loss because optimal weight does not always mean optimal health. Fitness has to do with your overall health - It is about your strength (physical, respiratory, and cardiovascular), agility, and flexibility. Science has proved that regular physical activity will increase your chances of maintaining weight loss, which means that only exercising pays off in the long run. So if you want to lose weight in the first place, you will have to cut back on the caloric intake. Yet, even this is not so simple. For this reason, in this article, we share with you four smart ways to improve your fitness results and maximize weight loss efforts.

Eat Better and Smarter

Everyone knows that proper nutrition is just as important as burning more calories than you add to your body while you eat. For getting maximum gains, you must power your body with the right vitamins, minerals, macronutrients, and calorie levels. However, in doing so, meal timing is of crucial importance and here is why.

What you eat before a workout defines whether or not you will have the energy to achieve your highest potential during each workout session. For example, carbs can help you maximize your body's ability to use glycogen to fuel short and high-intensity exercises. Fat can help you fuel your body for longer exercise sessions. Eating protein enables you to improve muscle protein synthesis, prevent muscle damage, and promote recovery. Consequently, failing to eat before you work out means you are missing a huge opportunity to keep your body in a muscle-building state.

Another critical element in improving your fitness results is fueling your recovery, meaning that you need to eat good quality food after each training session, not just relying on protein shakes. What is essential is to balance out good fats (like the ones contained in avocado or olive oil) along with with abundant sources of protein and slow-release carbohydrate (for example, sweet potato). During and after exercise, your muscle cells break down and rebuild. Hence, in a period of 20 to 60 minutes after your training, your muscles can store carbohydrates and protein and help your body in recovery. Make sure you are eating proteins from dairy products (like milk, greek yogurt, cottage or ricotta cheese) since they stimulate protein synthesis in the muscles. Eggs, Omega-3 fatty acids will help increase the size of muscle cells, and carbohydrate-rich foods (like fruits or grains) will help reduce the decreases in immunity that can occur after exercise.

Importantly, stay hydrated! Your body needs lots of water! According to a 2012 study, drinking appropriate amounts of water, particularly cold water, can enhance exercise performance in many situations. So, even before you head to the gym, it is best to get your body hydrated. Though everyone needs a different amount of fluids during exercise, it is best to start by drinking 16–20 ounces (0.5–0.6 liters) of water at least four hours before training and 8–12 ounces (0.23–0.35 liters) of water 10–15 minutes before exercise. Naturally, you should also try to stay hydrated throughout your workout. Consider drinking water for every 30 minutes of intense physical activity. If you are sweating profusely or you are training in a heated environment, try drinking water every 15 minutes. Nevertheless, over time, you will soon be able to find what works best for your body.

Try Natural Supplements That Help With Losing Weight

Alongside following a healthy diet, supplements can be a great way to help you lose weight and kick start your training. Using a natural weight loss supplement is an excellent option if you want to help your body burn more fat by increasing metabolism or reducing hunger. If you are only looking to boost your fitness performance, improve strength, increase lean body mass, or reduce fatigue, use supplements like whey protein, caffeine, creatine, or B vitamins that will boost your stamina.

Nevertheless, keep in mind that in order to burn fat, a person cannot rely solely on food or supplement. You also need to reduce your total calorie intake and increase physical activity levels. Still, when taking part in a healthy diet and lifestyle, the right fat burners may help you speed up weight loss.

Plan Your Excercise on a weekly basis

Make sure you do at least 20 minutes of cardio training four times a week. Choose whatever you like - walking, biking, jogging, swimming, fitness classes, going out dancing, or cross-country skiing. A short duration of the high-intensity activity will raise the heart rate for two to four hours. For example, a good cardio workout, such as an hour of moderate hiking, burns about 300 calories. Add weight lifting to your gym routine - it can help you build more muscle and tone your entire body. According to fitness experts, two 30-minute total-body strength training routines a week will do the trick.

You can also include compound exercises in your workout plan, which target more than one muscle at the same time. That can either be multiple muscles from the same muscle group (like the leg press, for example) or various muscles from different muscle groups (like the deadlift - targeting the muscles in your legs, back, and arms). Compound exercises are useful because you target multiple muscles at the same time and therefore increase your strength. Modern compound exercises are the bench press, squat, barbell press, pull ups and barbell row.

Build a Routine You Can Stick to

Routine is one of the most significant aspects of keeping a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining a fitness routine can help you improve your training, maximize your weight loss efforts and competitive performances. However, what is essential is to commit to a routine that can be consistent with your schedule. Furthermore, be aware that in order to achieve the desired fitness results, you have to make changes to your current lifestyle. By committing to a pattern that fits in with your lifestyle, you will have a much better chance of sticking to it and seeing long-term benefits.