Expert training ideas will help you reach your full fitness potential! Improve your routine and reach your goals faster.
When you eventually get off the couch or bed to begin a workout, you won’t be pleased with mediocre results. You begin a session determined to get the most out of every rep, sprint, and set so that the time you put in is truly worthwhile. However, this may not always be the case—if you’re working out while hungry, skipping sessions, or going to your home gym without a plan. Do you hate wasting time? Here, experts give fitness advice to help you ensure your workout is as efficient as possible every time.
1) Stay hydrated
According to one study, losing just 2% of your body weight in fluids can make your workout feel more difficult, lower your performance, and interfere with your body’s capacity to recover when you leave the gym. Water regulates your body temperature and lubricates your joints, transports nutrients to give your body energy and keep you healthy, says Shereena Master, a fitness trainer and mobility coach. Staying hydrated increases energy improves movement, recovery and agility; improving overall physical performance. The water helps maintain blood pressure during exercise so your heart doesn’t work harder to maintain normal blood pressure. She confirms that good hydration helps eliminate waste from muscles while also restoring water lost through sweat.
2) Fuel your body properly
A protein and carbohydrate-rich snack is the greatest way to fuel your workout. Adequate protein intake helps to minimize muscle soreness and improve healing, which is essential. Pros recommend avoiding high-fat foods since they take a long time to digest, and if you exercise immediately after eating them, your body competes with itself for blood flow.
3) Always warm up
Firing the proper muscles is what makes your workout successful, so spend at least ten to fifteen minutes warming up. Warming up is a way to get your body ready for exercise. Low-intensity warm-ups progressively increase heart rate and circulation, preparing you to handle higher-intensity exercise, says Master. As your body temperature rises, your joints relax and blood flow to your muscles increases.
4) Use a foam roller
Fitness professionals highly recommend this lightweight cylindrical tube of compressed foam for improving flexibility, stamina, and relieving muscle pain. Spend time foam rolling, mobilising, and extending your muscles before engaging in any type of exercise to ensure you don’t compromise your form or range of motion, says Master. This simple piece of equipment is used to smooth and lubricate the fascia, which is the connective tissue between the joints and muscles.
5) Add massages to your calendar
A massage not only feels wonderful, but it also acts at a deeper level to enhance blood flow, reduce inflammation, and aid in muscle recovery after intensive activity. Body massage, according to Bengaluru-based yoga teacher Pragya Bhatt, is an often-overlooked part of fitness that, when done on a daily basis, can improve your overall heath. It is effective in treating and preventing delayed muscle onset soreness (DOMS), as well as reducing pain and improving recovery. According to study, it can alter genes in muscle cells to reduce inflammation while also increasing the amount of mitochondria.
6) Track your progress
When working out, follow the principle of progressive workload. The easiest approach to ensure you’re doing so is to track and log each session, then concentrate on increasing your reps, sets, or time spent on each activity. Namrata Purohit, a pilates trainer based in Mumbai, agrees that increasing repetitions and intensity, as well as reducing rest or recovery intervals in between sets, can help the body improve endurance and stamina, she told Vogue India.
7) Use a tracking device
Wearable devices can provide a far more specific approach to assess your development. Heart rate monitors are motivational because they provide a visual indicator that indicates whether you’re pushing hard enough, which is fantastic.
8) Change things up
When you don’t take a break between workouts, your body goes into a fight-or-flight response, causing it to produce cortisol, a stress hormone that increases fat storage and appetite. To avoid this, alternate between workouts such as full-body strength training and upper-body-focused sessions to aid muscle recovery.
