Stop making these mistakes in your regular workout routine
If you're a gym goer your fitness trainer prescribes rest, litres of fluid, and a balanced healthy diet after a workout, Here's why this is so important
What do we do?
Doing a workout also determines how effective your routine will be. Choosing the wrong meal, skipping a cool-down stretch or rushing off to fit in another strenuous exercise can lead to muscle injury and insulin imbalance in the body. We got two fitness professionals to reveal the most common post-workout mistakes that might be detrimental to your fitness goals.
Just like the cardio stretch is equally essential to your body. Running, skipping, and lifting strengthen your muscles and help to train your mind. Stretching on the other side, cools you down, and flexible your entire body if you add 5 minutes to your daily workout.
The upshot of the stretching routine will change your habits thoroughly.
1. Add 5 minutes of stretch or warm-up
Working out is not just about hitting yourself on the ground to gain an iron body, Most people have the wrong perspective about exercise. Simply put, exercise is the physical move to make you keep your body fit and stronger rather than make you a drowsy human.
Stretching is the most important aspect many people avoid, as it aids muscle repair and recovery. If you feel lazy and exhausted even after doing a hardcore workout. It is one of the top reasons for injuries in the gym. Moreover, it is important to get your heart rate and breath down to normal. Just go with the flow slowly and deliberately before getting off the mat. Any kind of training increases the stress levels of the body which means the cortisol levels in the body increase, which needs to be brought back to normal.
Pro tip: Cooling down can help your brain get back to a more relaxed state too.
2. Pre-Workout Diet
Your diet depends on your fitness goals and also the time of the day when you are working out. But skipping a canned food altogether or rushing to have your favourite whey, smoothie can have a counteractive effect. Avoid eating for 30-45 minutes post your workout as the blood is streaming to your muscles, and you need to let that process calm down. The minute you put food in the running blood, instead of the muscles, the digestive system takes over. Systems in our body work together but at a certain time, one system functions well. So, if you are eating something, make sure there should be a little bit of a gap after your workout.
When you are exercising you are straining your body and your body starts to pump. When you are exercising you are straining your body, and tearing your muscles. The repair work happens in the first 24 hours and for it to happen, the diet you take before the workout is crucial, especially your protein intake post-workout. It will help with delayed muscle soreness, and you won't feel a loss of energy or appetite during the workout.
3. Keep Hydrate Your Body
Over-hydration can lead to the life-threatening. It is possible to drink enough water while exercising which most people don't know about. Underhydration can be useful for knowing your sweat rate. Every little bead of sweat makes your body stronger. The more you sweat, the more you feel energised and of course, great for your body. Even if it is just a sip of water, your body needs hydration before, while and after working out. Your muscles need the hydration to keep your electrolytes level balanced. If you are a long-distance runner or for people who do a lot of outdoor sports, make sure to replenish lost fluids post your workout.
What's the catch?
If you work out twice a day, you should at least have an eight-hour gap in between, in such a way that the previous workout doesn't hamper the next workout. Most people who workout in the morning, and like to go for a cardio session in the evening. I'd suggest doing more moderate-intensity to low-intensity exercise for a long duration of 45 minutes to an hour—basic yet powerful physical movements such as walking, jogging or cycling.
No running or sprinting for hours because you have already done cardio, right?
Your body needs some flow. Take slow breaths and proper rest.