Tips for Maximizing Your Workout

Your workout routine is part of your schedule that you rarely allow anything or anyone to compromise. Maintaining your weight, metabolism and energy level is essential for staying healthy and active, but you may wonder how to improve your sessions to achieve the maximum results. There is a considerable amount of information concerning workout preferences available online. However, some sites rely on unproven techniques and trendy gimmicks to promote their workout methods rather than scientific studies.

Pre-Workout Routine

The success and effectiveness of your exercise session have a lot to do with how you prepare yourself before the workout. Although some prefer to exercise on an empty stomach, your body needs energy to operate at its full potential. It’s true that you shouldn’t gorge yourself before exercising, but you can eat a light meal an hour before your session. To maintain your energy level and increase your blood flow, you can also take a pre-workout supplement.

Healthy Meals

Eating a small meal before a workout is important, but you should avoid processed food and snacks that include high levels of sugar, salt and trans-fat. Loading up on sugary energy drinks may have helped wake you up after a long night, but sucrose is not a necessary component for human health and will not improve your workouts. You may feel a momentary sugar rush from energy drinks, but the resulting crash will only decrease your energy and inhibit your exercise. The ideal food should be a low-fat meal that is high in carbohydrates and protein.

Carbohydrates

Athletes have relied on high carbohydrate diets to provide adequate stored energy for intense competitions. When you’re an athlete, stored energy from carbs is essential. However, you can also benefit from consuming carbs for your pre-workout meal. Although some believe that carbs only help you when they’re consumed the night before your exercise, fitness experts and dietitians point out that carbs provide fuel for your body during heavy workouts and can be consumed an hour before your session.

Hydration

In addition to consuming a healthy meal before a workout, you should also drink a pint of water before exercising to stay fully hydrated. While you exercise, you can lose up to 10% of your body’s weight in fluids if you’re not drinking enough water. Some people avoid drinking water before exercising because they want to prevent stomach cramps. Still, as long as you don’t overindulge (drinking a gallon of water), you’re unlikely to experience cramping. Your muscles will recover quicker if you’re hydrated, and your workout will feel less strenuous.

Music

One of the most helpful ways to motivate yourself during a workout is to listen to music you enjoy. Focusing on the music’s rhythm allows you to power through your routine, and it can distract you from the monotony of exercises you’re not fond of. Create a playlist of songs that fits the intensity of your workout and set the volume at a moderate level. Some cardio classes or instructor-led sessions have music blaring at an alarming degree, and the instructor often screams over the music as you cup your hands to your ears. After your workout, you can listen to songs that allow you to relax.

Interval Training

Although you may be accustomed to lengthy workouts, you can try interval training to see if your results improve. Recent studies demonstrate that a short, intense session is more effective than a prolonged, light routine. Try alternating between intensive repetitions and less intensive repetitions, and you’ll discover that interval training can help lower your body weight while maintaining your muscle mass.

Partners

Whether you’re in a gym or your living room, a workout partner is an exceptional motivator. Rather than having your friend yelling positive phrases of support during your routine, you can ask them to join the session as a competitor. See who can do the most pushups in thirty seconds, or initiate a race on a treadmill. The competitive spirit will push you harder and help you maximize your results. Exercising should be an enjoyable experience, and if you discover that something isn’t working for you, it’s better to give it up.