What does your workout routine consist of? Are you a strength trainer? A runner? Do you play sports or prefer a nature-filled hike? Whatever the case might be, if you are not seeing the results you desire there are things you can do to help improve upon your fitness journey so you can achieve your goals. Here are 10 tips to help you elevate your fitness routine.
Get Plenty Of Beauty Rest
If you’re not getting enough quality sleep, then you are missing out on potential gains. Any experienced fitness enthusiast will tell you that getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night as a healthy adult is a must for your fitness journey and this advice extends to your mental health as well. During sleep, our bodies go into recovery mode, but when we don’t get enough, our bodies don’t have enough time to rebuild our muscles.
Additionally, without adequate sleep each night, we won’t have enough energy to really give it our best during a workout. Not to mention the risk of injury increases greatly under these conditions. When it comes to fitness, you’ll get out of it what you put into it.
Consistency Is Key
The only way you are going to be successful in any sort of workout routine is if you stay consistent. Building a routine is an essential part of any fitness journey and necessary to forming healthy habits like enough drinking water or walking for 30 minutes every day.
It can be difficult to stay motivated to work out each day so try treating it like a doctor’s appointment or a job interview. The difference is that you are showing up for yourself. Changing your perspective can make a big difference.
Workouts During Pregnancy: What Precautions to Consider
When you’re pregnant, it’s important to stay active and fit. Exercise during pregnancy can help reduce back pain, improve your mood, and increase your energy levels. However, it’s important to take some precautions when working out while pregnant.
Below are some things to consider when exercising during pregnancy:
- Always listen to your body and don’t push yourself too hard. If you start feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or short of breath, stop what you’re doing and rest for a few minutes.
- Check with your doctor before starting any new workout routine, especially if you have any medical conditions.
- Make sure to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water before, during, and after your workout.
- Wear comfortable, supportive clothing and avoid anything that might put too much pressure on your abdomen.
- Don’t do any exercises that involve lying flat on your back after the first trimester. This can reduce blood flow to your uterus.
- Avoid high-impact activities and anything that could potentially cause you to fall.
- Use a due date calculator to determine when you should stop working out. Most doctors recommend stopping around the 36-week mark.
Pregnancy is a wonderful time in a woman’s life, but it’s also a time when it’s important to be extra careful with your health and fitness routine. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to stay active during pregnancy without overdoing it. Just remember to listen to your body, take things slowly at first, and consult with your doctor before starting any new workout routine.
Lift Weights
Strength training with weights is extremely beneficial for both men and women. Not only does it make you stronger, but when you build more muscle, your body is able to burn calories as well as body fat more efficiently. This in turn will help you reach your fitness goals quicker and much more effectively.
In addition to helping you appear leaner, building more muscle improves heart health and assists in managing blood sugar levels. It also improves your range of motion and the mobility of your muscles, ligaments, and tendons thus decreasing the risk of injury.
Focus On Form
If you are not focusing on proper form while exercising, you run the risk of causing great injury. Not only is it painful and embarrassing but depending on the type of injury, your recovery time can take you out of the game for weeks, months, or even years. In a worst-case scenario, certain injuries can require surgery to correct and could stay with you for the rest of your life.
On the flip side, having proper form will give you the most out of your workout. Improper form doesn’t always lead to great injury, but it can mean you may not be working the intended muscle or muscle groups to get maximum benefit. There is an excellent resource that offers tons of fitness content that can provide you with in-depth how-to guides to achieving proper form on many exercises.
Stretch And Mobility Movements
Stretching is just as important as the workout itself, but it often gets left out especially when you’re new to fitness. The importance of stretching is right up there with proper form. It helps to prevent injury by improving flexibility.
Mobility movements can make a huge difference in your workout routine as well as your daily life as they incorporate a combination of both strength and flexibility. In fact, if you have lower back pain you might just have tight hip flexors and mobility exercises can help to alleviate it. Be sure to consult your doctor if any pain is associated with an injury before attempting any mobility movements.
Fuel Your Body The Right Way
You can’t outwork a bad diet. If you are not consuming adequate nutrition to refuel your body, all the work you are doing might be going down the drain. If you’ve been working out for a few months but you’re not seeing any results, it might be a good time to reassess your diet.
Eating less does not equal losing body fat and if you want to gain muscle you need to be consuming adequate amounts of protein. Try focusing on adding good nutrition to your diet rather than cutting out the things that you love. If you want long-term results you need to be realistic and curate a diet that will fit into your lifestyle.
Rest And Recovery
Taking adequate time for rest and recovery is incredibly important for your physical and mental health. While dedication and consistency are integral to any successful fitness journey, high-intensity workout routines can cause cortisol levels to spike too high and hinder your progress.
Listening to your body and giving yourself enough rest and recovery time helps your body repair and rebuild your muscles stronger than they were before. Additionally, it’s never a bad idea to take a break from a workout if you really need it.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking plenty of water is one of the most important aspects of our overall health considering our muscles and organs need it to function properly. Adequate hydration improves cognition, balances your emotions, and decreases anxiety improving your workout routine and overall outlook on life. It also prevents muscle cramps and fatigue and assists greatly in weight loss.
As little as a 2% loss in hydration can affect your memory, reaction time, mood, and concentration. Healthy adults should be consuming at least 8 glasses of water a day. Not everyone loves drinking water, but you should try working up to that amount each day if you don’t already.
Dress The Part
If you do not feel comfortable with what you’re wearing, how do you expect to have a good workout? It’s not just about looking good but feeling secure while exercising. If you’re a female who likes to jump rope for example, but your sports bra is not supportive enough your workout could cause great pain or even injury.
If you love to run, but don’t own shoes with the proper support your feet will not thank you by the time you finish your exercise. You don’t need to buy the most expensive gear and the most fashionable trendy outfit, but you should take some time to assess what would benefit you the most during your exercise.
Do What You Love
Your exercise routine should not feel like a burden. If the routine you’re currently on is not serving you or making you feel better than before you started, then try something new. Fitness comes in many forms and the great thing about this journey is that you have many options.
If you need support, join a class or work out with a friend. If you enjoy the outdoors, go for a walk. Discover an activity that gets you up and moving for at least 30 minutes a day. You will find something that fulfills you by simply trying new things.
Any one of these tips can assist you in achieving your fitness goals if you are willing to try. Motivation is great, but discipline is better, and consistency is the key to a successful fitness journey. Remember to just keep putting in the effort every day and listen to you your body. If you need a break, take one. Just don’t give up. There is never a better time to start than now.
